NORTHERN IRELAND

Causeway Consultants

Lembit �pik: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what contracts his Department  (a) has and  (b) has had with (i) Causeway Consultants and (ii) White Rock Research and Consultancy; what the ( a) nature and ( b) value was of work undertaken; when each piece of work was (i) started and (ii) completed; and if he will make a statement.

Shaun Woodward: The Northern Ireland Office has not undertaken any contracts with Causeway Consultants or White Rock Research and Consultancy.

Christmas

Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how much his Department and its agencies have spent on Christmas  (a) cards,  (b) parties and  (c) decorations in each of the last five years.

Shaun Woodward: The following table shows the amount spent by the NIO and its agencies on Christmas cards, receptions and decorations in the last five full financial years.
	
		
			   
			  Financial year  Cards  Receptions  Decorations 
			 2002-03 5,342 426 0 
			 2003-04 6,610 445 1,311 
			 2004-05 6,104 5,640 574 
			 2005-06 8,149 19,161 586 
			 2006-07 2,630 37,578 2,573 
			 Total 28,835 63,250 5,044

Departmental Carbon Emissions

Christopher Huhne: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what estimate he has made of the total amount of carbon emissions produced by his Department in each year since 1997.

Shaun Woodward: My Department contributes data on energy consumption to the Northern Ireland Public Sector Energy Committee annual report. The most up-to-date figures on carbon emissions from energy consumption are contained in the 2005-06 PSEC report and show estimated emissions as being 1,434,000 kg CO2; this is a reduction of 11 per cent. from 2004-05 figures. During this period 17 per cent. of our electricity came from renewable sources; overall, 9 per cent. of our energy came from renewable sources. We have recently invested in biomass heating and solar energy generation at Hillsborough Castle. No figures are available prior to 2004-05.
	Since April 2006 emissions from central Government ministerial and official air travel has been offset through the Government carbon offsetting fund. Departmental aviation emissions are calculated on an annual basis and subsequently offset through payments to the fund. The fund purchases certified emissions reduction credits from energy efficiency and renewable energy projects with sustainable development benefits, located in developing countries.
	The DEFRA website provides a comprehensive list of Government carbon offsetting fund members, their emission figures and what activities they have offset through the fund, available at:
	http://www.defra.gov.uk/environment/climatechange/uk/carbonoffset/government.htm.

Departmental Manpower

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many reports have been made to his Department's nominated officers under paragraph 16 of the revised Civil Service Code since its publication on 6 June 2006.

Shaun Woodward: I refer the hon. Member to the answer provided by the Minister for the Cabinet Office (Gillian Merron) on 19 November 2007,  Official Report, columns 596-97W. No reports have been made to the Northern Ireland Office's nominated officers in relation to Northern Ireland civil servants employed within the Department.

Departmental Manpower

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many allegations of victimisation for whistleblowing have been reported to his Department by departmental staff since 6th June 2006.

Shaun Woodward: I refer the hon. Member to the answer provided by the Minister for the Cabinet Office (Gillian Merron) on 19 November 2007,  Official Report, columns 596-97W. No allegations of victimisation for whistleblowing have been reported to the Northern Ireland Office by Northern Ireland civil servant staff since 6 June 2006.

Departmental Manpower

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland when his Department's whistleblowing procedures were reviewed to reflect the provisions in the revised Civil Service Code.

Shaun Woodward: I refer the hon. Member to the answer provided by the Minister for the Cabinet Office (Gillian Merron) on 19 November 2007,  Official Report, columns 596-97W. The Northern Ireland Office Guidance on Public Interest Disclosure (whistleblowing) was last revised on 8 April 2005.

Departmental Visits Abroad

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how much his Department spent on overnight accommodation for Ministers overseas in the last year.

Shaun Woodward: From 1 January 2007 to date, the amount spent on overseas hotel accommodation for Northern Ireland Office Ministers is estimated at US$7,608 and 2,692. At current exchange rates this adds up to approximately 5,640.
	There were 10 visits in total where overnight overseas accommodation was required. The destinations were Dublin, Boston, New York, Washington DC, Ypres and the Holy See. The Ministers requiring the accommodation were myself, my predecessor the right hon. Member for Neath (Mr. Hain), the right hon. Member for Delyn (Mr. Hanson), and the hon. Member for Liverpool Garston (Maria Eagle).

OLYMPICS

Look of London

Hugh Robertson: To ask the Minister for the Olympics who will be responsible for allocating the 32 million of funding for Look of London; which organisations form Look of London; what the objectives of Look of London are; and what activities it will undertake.

Tessa Jowell: holding answer 13 December 2007
	The purpose of this budget is to help improve the look of streets en route to the Olympic Park and off-Park Olympic venues by assisting with street cleaning and dressing measures such as removing graffiti, repainting street furniture and providing decorative planting. The responsibility for allocation of these funds will be determined nearer the time of the games.

Olympic Delivery Authority: Finance

Hugh Robertson: To ask the Minister for the Olympics what projects the 500 million contingency funding allocated to the Olympic Delivery Authority will be allocated to; and how much will be allocated to each project.

Tessa Jowell: holding answer 13 December 2007
	As set out in my written statement to Parliament on 10 December 2007, the distribution of the 500 million allocated programme contingency, by category, is as follows:
	
		
			   Released contingency included  in cost ( million) 
			 Site preparation and Infrastructure 177 
			 Venues 100 
			 Transport 21 
			 Other Parkwide projects 208 
			 IBC/MPC, Olympic Village, Programme Delivery and Taxation (6) 
			  500 
		
	
	I am not able to provide further detail at this stage, as this could compromise the Olympic Delivery Authority's commercial negotiating position and lead to an increase in cost.

Olympic Games 2012: Finance

Hugh Robertson: To ask the Minister for the Olympics when she intends to provide further information about the likely cost of the Olympic village.

Tessa Jowell: holding answer 13 December 2007
	Commercially confidential negotiations are currently taking place relating to the construction of the Olympic Village. Further information about the development of the Olympic Village will be made available at the appropriate time.

HOUSE OF COMMONS COMMISSION

Departmental Data Protection

Tom Brake: To ask the hon. Member for North Devon, representing the House of Commons Commission, what plans the Commission has to review its practices involved in transporting personal data; and whether the Commission uses TNT to transport such data.

Nick Harvey: The Clerk of the House has commissioned a review of data and information security which is being led by the Parliamentary Security Co-ordinator. The review is being carried out as a matter of priority. TNT have been used to courier information such as Committee and Delegation papers, artwork and images but only rarely have they been used to transport personal data such as passports and then only in cases of urgency.

Proof of Identity

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the hon. Member for North Devon, representing the House of Commons Commission pursuant to the answer of 19 November 2007,  Official Report, column 452W, on proof of identity, who proof-checked the text for the passes.

Nick Harvey: The text was the responsibility of the project team. The punctuation error in the text will be corrected when the current stock of passes is used up.

WOMEN AND EQUALITY

Departmental Manpower

Theresa May: To ask the Minister for Women and Equality how many  (a) men and  (b) women of each Civil Service grade are employed by the Government Equalities Office.

Barbara Follett: The information is supplied in the following table.
	The table contains the number of permanent staff employed in their substantive grades as of 12 December 2007. It excludes temporary staff.
	
		
			  GEO  Permanent staff 
			  Grade  Male  Female  Total permanent 
			 Senior Civil Service Pay Band 2 1 1 2 
			 Senior Civil Service Pay Band l 1 2 3 
			 Grade 6 2 4 6 
			 Grade 7 5 9 14 
			 Senior Executive Officer 4 9 13 
			 Higher Executive Officer (Fast Stream Development Programme) 3 2 5 
			 Higher Executive Officer 3 7 10 
			 Executive Officer 2 3 5 
			 Administrative Officer 3 0 3 
			 Total 24 37 61

Politics: Discrimination

Jo Swinson: To ask the Minister for Women and Equality whether the Government plans to bring forward legislative proposals to protect people from discrimination on the grounds of political belief.

Barbara Follett: The responses to the consultation on proposals for a new Equality Bill are currently being considered. A formal Government response to the consultation will be published in due course.

SOLICITOR-GENERAL

Prosecutions: Racial Violence

John Mann: To ask the Solicitor-General when she expects the conclusions of the Crown Prosecution Service's internal review into the anti-Semitic incidents not resulting in prosecution, and incitement to racial hatred prosecutions to be published.

Vera Baird: The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) is producing a report setting out its detailed response to the recommendations following the All Party Parliamentary Group's Inquiry into Anti-Semitism. The CPS had initially intended to publish its response this autumn, but the analysis of the additional data from police files took longer than anticipated, and the CPS now intends to publish the report early in the new year.

ELECTORAL COMMISSION COMMITTEE

Investigatory Powers

David Kidney: To ask the hon. Member for Gosport, representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission, what investigatory powers the Electoral Commission has; and what further powers the Commission has requested.

Peter Viggers: The Electoral Commission informs me that it can require registered political parties, recognised third parties, permitted participants at a referendum, regulated donees and candidates to provide information relating to their financial affairs. A person authorised by the Commission may enter the premises of a registered party, recognised third party or permitted participant to inspect and copy their financial records.
	The Commission has called for wider investigative powers to enable it to obtain information from any source that has relevant information.

Electoral Register: Fraud

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the hon. Member for Gosport, representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission, what processes are in place for liaison between the police and the Electoral Commission when dealing with serious breaches of electoral law.

Peter Viggers: The Electoral Commission informs me that arrangements are in place with the Association of Chief Police Officers, individual police forces and prosecution authorities in regard to electoral malpractice. This includes a single point of contact on election issues in each police force in England, Wales and Scotland to deal with such matters.

Political Parties: Finance

Andrew Tyrie: To ask the hon. Member for Gosport, representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission, what guidance the Electoral Commission has given to political parties on making donations via intermediaries and declaring the original donor.

Peter Viggers: The Electoral Commission informs me that it publishes Donations and loans: guidance for political parties in Great Britain, which is available on its website, www.electoralcommission.org.uk. This details the reporting requirements on donations to political parties, including those made on behalf of others.
	Similar guidance has been given to political parties in Northern Ireland.

Political Parties: Finance

Andrew Tyrie: To ask the hon. Member for Gosport, representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission, what guidance on compliance with legislation is provided by the Commission to registered treasurers of political parties.

Peter Viggers: The Electoral Commission informs me that it provides a range of guidance for registered treasurers of political parties, covering donations, loans, campaign expenditure, policy development grants and statements of accounts. These publications are available on the Commission's website at www.electoralcommission.org.uk

CULTURE MEDIA AND SPORT

Christmas

Malcolm Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what his Department's policy is on the selection of  (a) real and  (b) artificial Christmas trees for his Department's festive decorations; and how real trees are disposed of.

Gerry Sutcliffe: The Department's policy is to use real Christmas trees. The trees are recycled.

Cinemas

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if he will take action to encourage cinemas to show greater numbers of UK films.

Margaret Hodge: holding answer 10 December 2007
	The UK Film Council provides funding aimed at bringing a wider choice of films to cinemas with a specific emphasis on British films.
	For example, they have rolled out the digital screen network, providing 240 screens nationwide with state of the art digital projection equipment in return for a commitment to screen more British films. The success of the first Summer of British Film season this year, with seven classic British films digitally restored and shown in cinemas, is a direct result of this initiative.
	The UK Film Council has invested a further 2.5 million to assist the distribution of 53 British films and co-productions. They have given 45 million from the national lottery to British film production, resulting in worldwide revenues of 410 million since.
	The UK Film Council also gives 7.9 million a year to regional film bodies across England (e.g. Film London), all working to create a clear film strategy for each English region and provide cash support for production.
	Government have also established a new tax relief framework which directly targets filmmakers producing cultural British films. As of September this year more than 100 films were certified as British for the new tax relief, more than 30 claims had been received by HMRC and around 35 million of tax credit had been paid out.

Departmental Buildings

Andrew Stunell: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what percentage of new buildings approved by his Department were built to the Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method  (a) very good and  (b) excellent standard in each of the last five years; and what the construction cost of those buildings was.

Margaret Hodge: DCMS has not constructed any new buildings within the last five years.

Departmental Data Protection

Nigel Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many confirmed data security breaches there have been in his Department in the last 36 months; and what action was taken after each occurrence.

Gerry Sutcliffe: I refer the hon. Member to the statement made by my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister on 21 November 2007,  Official Report, column 1179. The review by the Cabinet Secretary and security experts is looking at procedures within departments and agencies for the storage and use of data. A statement on departments' procedures will be made on completion of the review.

Departmental Equality

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much was spent by his Department  (a) in total and  (b) on staff costs on promoting equality and diversity in each of the last three years for which figures are available; and how many people are employed by his Department for this purpose.

Gerry Sutcliffe: The Department for Culture, Media and Sport employs three members of staff, one part-time grade B, one full-time grade C and one full-time grade D, to promote equality and diversity in the Department.
	Staff costs are as follows:
	
		
			  Diversity costs 
			
			   FTE  2004-05  2005-06  2006-07  Total 
			 Grade B 0.8 28,301 30,667 31,218 90,186 
			 Grade C 1 25,386 27,653 28,600 81,639 
			 Grade D 1 20,537 22,793 23,037 66,367 
			 Total 238,192 
		
	
	Information about the total cost of promoting equality and diversity in the Department could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Departmental Ministerial Policy Advisors

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what the office costs for his Department's special advisers for 2007-08 are expected to be, including costs of support staff; and how many full-time equivalent civil servants work in support of such special advisers.

Margaret Hodge: One civil servant supports the special advisers in my office. This civil servant provides administrative support of a non-political nature in accordance with the Code of Conduct for Special Advisers and the Civil Service Code.
	Individual civil servants' salary details are not disclosed in order to protect the privacy of the individual concerned.

Departmental Redundancies

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what the cost was of redundancies in his Department in the 12 months preceding  (a) 30 June 2004,  (b) 30 June 2005 and  (c) 30 June 2006.

Gerry Sutcliffe: There have been no redundancies in the Department for Culture, Media and Sport in the period from 30 June 2003 to 30 June 2006.

Departmental Statistics

Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if he will list the statistical information which his Department has responsibility to collect; and in each case whether that information is collected on a  (a) national or  (b) regional basis.

Margaret Hodge: The Department has responsibility to supply tourism statistics for the UK to the statistical office of the European Commission (Eurostat) in line with the tourism statistics directive. This requires information at both a national and regional level on a monthly, quarterly and annual basis. The data are collected by the Office for National Statistics and by the National Tourist Boards and are supplied to Eurostat by DCMS.
	The Department also collects and publishes a series of regular and ongoing statistical products under the professional management of the Head of Profession for statistics. Statistical information collected and produced outside the professional management of the Head of Profession for statistics, including by the Department's non-departmental public bodies, is not listed.
	The Department currently publishes two products classed as 'National Statistics':
	Taking Part: The National Survey of Culture, Leisure and Sport; and
	Alcohol, Entertainment and Late Night Refreshment Licensing Statistics.
	Information for Taking Part is collected from private households in England and results are primarily published at a national level, though some information has also been published by Government office region where possible.
	Alcohol, Entertainment and Late Night Refreshment statistics are collected from licensing authorities in England and Wales and are published at both the aggregate England and Wales level and on an individual authority basis.
	The Department has also previously published a third National Statistics productBetting Licence Statistics. However, this publication is being reviewed in light of changes in gambling laws.
	The Department also annually publishes two non-National Statistics products:
	Creative Industries Economic Estimates; and
	Television Exports Statistics.
	Creative Industries economic estimates are published at a UK level only, and are based on business information collected by the Office for National Statistics. The television exports survey collects information directly from members of the Producers Alliance for Cinema and Television (PACT). Published results therefore relate to the total exports across PACT members only.
	Statistical information on the number of venues in England and Wales staging live music has also been collected on an infrequent basis. This information was last published in 2004, with an update to be released later this month.

Digital Broadcasting: Television

Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what assessment he has made of the review commissioned from the National Audit Office by the BBC Trust on the BBC's preparedness for digital switchover, with particular reference to the effect of the timing of future procurement on the BBC's ability to apply all the lessons of the Copeland experience.

James Purnell: The NAO report is part of a programme of value for money work agreed with the BBC Trust by the Comptroller and Auditor General, under the new Charter and Agreement arrangements, and responsibility for considering audit reports and deciding on any follow-up action rests with the Trust.
	I have seen the NAO report and the BBC response and note that the Trust will ensure that where possible the Copeland lessons are taken account of in the contract for the help scheme.

Film Industry

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what steps the Government has taken to raise the profile of British film.

Margaret Hodge: Last year, the UK Film Council's Distribution and Exhibition Fund provided 527,405 to enable British films reach a wider audience.
	In addition, the Film Council has rolled out the digital screen network (DSN). This has provided 240 screens nationwide with state-of-the-art digital projection equipment in return for a commitment to screening more British and specialised films. A total of 1,305 different British/specialised films have played across the network to date with 94,277 film showings.
	The Film Council also operates an annual 2 million Prints and Advertising Fund to assist the wider distribution and better marketing of British films. Last year they also paid out 4.1 million with the New Cinema Fund and 5.9 million with the Premiere Fund, both for production.
	Film festivals in the UK are often a showcase for British film. The recently announced Film Festival Fund will allocate 4.5 million over three years to UK festivals.

Gambling

Sandra Osborne: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what steps he is planning to take in response to changes in the level of activity in the  (a) gaming industry and  (b) seaside arcades and bingo halls since the introduction of the Gambling Act 2005.

Gerry Sutcliffe: My Department is engaging in a constructive dialogue with the British Amusement Catering Trade Association, the main trade body which represents the gaming machines sector, the Bingo Association and other trade bodies with an interest in the sector. I have made it clear to these organisations that I will be happy to consider any evidence they can provide, in relation to the difficult trading conditions that some operators say they are currently experiencing, and any proposals for remedial action.
	However, the Government's principal priority remains to protect the public. We will need to be satisfied that any proposals put forward for remedial action by the industry do not have an adverse impact in terms of the licensing objectives of the Act.

Gambling

Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport 
	(1)  what assessment his Department has made of the effects of the Gambling Act 2005 on the  (a) revenue and  (b) employment levels of (i) adult gaming centres, (ii) family entertainment centres, (iii) gaming machine manufacturers, (iv) gaming machine suppliers and operators, (v) bingo halls and (vi) licensed betting offices since its implementation;
	(2)  what plans his Department has to review  (a) gaming machine stake and prize levels and  (b) numbers of gaming machines permitted in different types of gambling premises following the publication of the British Gaming Prevalence Survey 2007.

Gerry Sutcliffe: My Department is engaging in a constructive dialogue with the British Amusement Catering Trade Association, the main trade body which represents the gaming machines sector, and other trade bodies with an interest in the sector. I have made it clear to these organisations that I will be happy to consider any evidence they can provide, in relation to the difficult trading conditions that some operators say they are currently experiencing, and any proposals for remedial action.
	However, the Government's principal priority remains to protect the public. We will need to be satisfied that any proposals put forward for remedial action by the industry do not have an adverse impact in terms of the licensing objectives of the Act.

Gambling

Julie Kirkbride: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport 
	(1)  what the evidential basis was for the determination of the stake and prize levels for category B2 and B3 gaming machines;
	(2)  what the evidential basis was for the decision to restrict the number of B3 machines permitted in adult gaming centres and bingo halls of any size to four under the Gambling Act 2005;
	(3)  if he will bring forward proposals to amend the existing B3 machine entitlement in adult gaming centres and bingo halls to allow larger premises an increase in the number of B3 machines in proportion to the total number of gaming machines.

Gerry Sutcliffe: The number of category B gaming machines permitted in different types of premises is provided for in section 172 of the Gambling Act 2005. The Act was approved by Parliament following extensive consultation with industry, and many other interested parties, and lengthy pre-legislative scrutiny.
	The stakes and prizes applying to category B gaming machines, and all other categories of gaming machine, and the different sub-categories of category B gaming machines that can be made available in different types of gambling premises, are set by the Categories of Gaming Machine Regulations 2007. The regulations were made following extensive public consultation and were subject to the affirmative resolution procedure requiring debates in, and approval by, both Houses of Parliament.
	Under the Act, adult gaming centres are, for the first time, permitted to make up to four B3 gaming machines available, and can continue to make available an unlimited number of category C and D gaming machines. Bingo halls have retained their entitlement of up to four category B3 gaming machines, and to an unlimited number of category C and D gaming machines.
	The maximum stake and prize levels for, what became under the Act, category C gaming machines were increased to 50p and 35 in October 2006. The maximum stake for what became category B3 machines was doubled to 1 at the same time.
	My Department is engaging in a constructive dialogue with the British Amusement Catering Trade Association, the main trade body which represents the gaming machines sector, and other trade bodies with an interest in the sector. I have made it clear to these organisations that I will be happy to consider any evidence they can provide, in relation to the difficult trading conditions that some operators say they are currently experiencing, and any proposals for remedial action.
	However, the Government's principal priority remains to protect the public. We will need to be satisfied that any proposals put forward for remedial action by the industry do not have an adverse impact in terms of the licensing objectives of the Act.

Gambling

Henry Bellingham: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what assessment he has made of whether the introduction of the Gambling Act 2005 has caused migration from soft to hard forms of gambling.

Gerry Sutcliffe: The Gambling Act 2005 came into force on 1 September 2007. The new Act introduces, for the first time, appropriate safeguards for the different forms of gambling permitted by the Act to ensure that children and vulnerable people are protected. It is too early to assess the impact of the Act, since it has only been in effect for a little over three months.

Licensing

Tobias Ellwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what representations his Department has received from police representatives on the effects of the Licensing Act 2003.

Gerry Sutcliffe: We frequently receive views from bodies representing the police, such as the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO), and from individual police forces on how the Licensing Act 2003 (the 2003 Act) is working. Recent feedback has included examples of how the new powers are being used to make a positive impact and how flexible closing times have helped spread dispersal and reduce peaks of alcohol-related disorder.
	I value the input of the police in identifying where the 2003 Act could do better, which is why we actively seek their views when considering adjustments to the regime.

Licensing

Tobias Ellwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport whether he plans to review the Licensing Act 2003; and if he will make a statement.

Gerry Sutcliffe: As the Prime Minister reiterated in July, we are monitoring and reviewing the impact of the Act and have been since it came into force. We expect to complete an evaluation of the impact of the Act in the new year.

Lifeguards: Qualifications

Si�n James: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many lifeguards have  (a) trained for and  (b) passed their National Pool Lifeguard Qualification in England (i) since 1997 and (ii) in the latest 12 month period for which figures are available.

Gerry Sutcliffe: The National Pool Lifeguard Qualification in England is the responsibility of the Institute of Qualified Lifeguards (IQL), which is affiliated to the Royal Life Saving Society UK, the recognised national governing body for Life Saving. The IQL has advised that:
	(i) since 1999, 301,000 people were awarded the National Pool Lifeguard Qualification in the United Kingdom (pre-1999 figures were unavailable);
	(ii) between January and the end of November this year, 31,000 people were awarded the National Pool Lifeguard Qualification in the United Kingdom.
	These figures include both newly qualified lifeguards and lifeguards renewing their qualification.
	The numbers of people training for the qualification and England-only figures were not available from the IQL.

Olympic Games 2012

Tobias Ellwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much public funding has been allocated to promoting Britain as a tourist destination through the 2012 Olympics.

Margaret Hodge: holding answer 11 December 2007
	VisitBritain's strategic review of tourism, announced by my Department on 24 October 2007, will look at priorities for British tourism including the 2012 Olympic Games and Paralympic Games. Better coordination of resources and focusing on priorities will help us deliver the tourism legacy of the 2012 Games.
	Funding to promote Britain as a tourist destination in 2012 comes from many sources, of which VisitBritain is just one.

Olympic Games 2012: Voluntary Work

Jeremy Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what recent assessment he has made of the likely effect the London 2012 Olympic Games will have on levels of participation in voluntary work.

Tessa Jowell: I have been asked to reply 
	as Minister for the Olympics.
	The London Organising Committee for the Olympic Games and Paralympic Games estimate that they are likely to require up to 70,000 volunteers for the 2012 Games. Since the bid 160,000 people have registered an interest in volunteering on the London 2012 database. The Personal Best Programme, which has just completed its pilot phase, aims to encourage participants from deprived backgrounds with low level qualifications into training and volunteering using the power of the Games.
	In addition, the Government are currently examining other ways to promote volunteering more widely using the excitement and enthusiasm generated by the Games as part of the preparations for the launch of the Legacy Action Plan in the new year.

Reviews

Christopher Huhne: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what  (a) reviews,  (b) consultations and  (c) taskforces his Department is (i) responsible for and (ii) scheduled to initiate; on what date each (A) started and (B) is expected to be completed; and what the purpose is of each.

Margaret Hodge: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Bath (Mr. Foster) on 10 December 2007,  Official Report, columns 106-10W.

Sports Direct: Finance

Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport pursuant to the answer of 20 November 2007,  Official Report, column 661W, on Sports Direct: finance, if he will place in the Library a copy of the feasibility study.

Gerry Sutcliffe: I will place a copy of the Sport Direct feasibility study (from 2005) in the House Library.
	Since the study was completed, alternative options were considered to fulfil the Sport Direct manifesto commitment, one of which has now been implemented.
	From 19 November 2007, information on accessing sports facilities has been made available on the NHS Choices website www.nhs.uk. This option was considered the most effective and efficient way of meeting the manifesto commitment.

Sports: Coventry

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much the Government have spent on sports facilities in Coventry since 1997.

Gerry Sutcliffe: Since 1997 sports facilities in Coventry have benefited from 8,454,030 from DCMS Exchequer and Sport England lottery funding.

Sportsgrounds

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what steps the Government have taken to improve safety at football stadiums since 1997.

Gerry Sutcliffe: Safety at football grounds is the responsibility of the clubs. The Government, through the Football Licensing Authority, licenses spectator accommodation, keeps under review safety certification by local authorities and provides guidance on good practice relating to the management both of the grounds and of spectator safety.
	The main improvements in England and Wales since 1997 in which the FLA has played a key role have been as follows:
	the increase in the number of all-seated Premier League, Championship and international football grounds from 47 to 69;
	the upgrading of all remaining standing accommodation to ensure that it has continuous crush barriers of the appropriate design, strength and spacing between radial gangways;
	the development and promulgation of national steward training qualifications at NVQ level 2 or equivalent;
	the revision of the 1997 edition of the Guide to Safety at Sports Grounds (to be published early in the new year); and
	the issue of detailed guidance on accessible stadia, control rooms, concourses, safety certification, contingency planning, exercise planning and briefing/debriefing.
	These improvements have been introduced alongside a range of measures that have been taken to control disorder which have also contributed significantly to improving public safety in grounds.

Swimming

Si�n James: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what steps his Department is taking to encourage people to participate in swimming.

Gerry Sutcliffe: Swimming is the country's largest participation sport and, since 1995, over 251 million of National Lottery funding has been invested in capital and revenue community projects.
	Sport England supports Everyday Swim, a national initiative run by the Amateur Swimming Association (ASA) aimed at breaking down barriers to swimming and getting more people into the swimming pool. Sport England is contributing 3 million of Lottery funding to the programme, with the ASA providing an equal amount of partnership funding.
	Sport England also provides 1.7 million per annum of National Lottery funding to the ASA to support the delivery of its One Stop Plan. This funding is used to improve the sport's infrastructure by focusing on clubs, coaches and volunteers.
	Swimming is part of the Community Club Development Programme and, since 2003, more than 1.9 million of Exchequer funding has been provided to support capital improvements in 15 swimming clubs.

Video Games: Children

Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport with reference to his answer of 29 October 2007,  Official Report, column 643W, on video games: children, who expressed concerns over the relationship between video games and behaviour; and when and to whom such concerns were expressed.

Margaret Hodge: Our consideration of this issue reflects wider public concern expressed in a range of forums. In addition to this, we have received correspondence from a range of individuals and groups of school childrenoften through their constituency MPwho express concern about a possible link between playing video games that feature violence and violent behaviour in real life.

Young People: Lifeguards

Si�n James: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what steps his Department is taking to encourage young people to train as lifeguards.

Gerry Sutcliffe: Sport England currently recognises Life Saving and Surf Life Saving, but neither governing bodythe Royal Life Saving Society UK and the Surf Life Saving Association of Great Britainreceives funding from Sport England.
	The Surf Life Saving Association of Great Britain was awarded 8,000 in 2006-07 to support the employment of a sports development officer in the south-west to coordinate events aimed at increasing participation in Surf Life Saving. This award was made from the 'Impact and Improvement Fund', which is operated by the Central Council for Physical Recreation and funded by Sport England.
	Since 2005, one award of 210,723 has been made by Sport England to Hayle Surf Life Saving Club in Cornwall for the construction of new premises.

WORK AND PENSIONS

Children: Poverty

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what steps his Department is taking to meet the  (a) 2010 and  (b) 2020 child poverty targets.

Caroline Flint: The Department is committed to helping to achieve the ambitious targets set by the Government to halve child poverty by 2010 on the way to eradicating it by 2020. Significant progress has been made with 600,000 children lifted out of relative poverty since 1998-99 but there remains much more to be done.
	Work, for those who can, remains the best and most sustainable route out of poverty and this sits at the heart of the Department's child poverty strategy. In March 2007 the Department published its refreshed child poverty strategy Working for Children which focuses around three broad themes. These are: increasing support for lone parents through increased rights and responsibilities; helping people to stay in work and make progress in their jobs; and increasing the family focus of employment programmes. In Ready for Work: Full employment in our generation, published on 13 December as a result of the responses to our Green Paper In Work, Better Off: next steps to full employment, we have announced increased support and obligations for lone parents who are claiming income support solely based on being a lone parent. They will have to move onto a more appropriate benefit when their youngest child is aged 12 and over from October 2008; 10 and over from October 2009; and seven and over from October 2010.
	We will increase the support for lone parents to return to and stay in work by: increasing the work trials period from three to up to six weeks; group seminars; job interview guarantee; work focused pre-work training; extension and expansion of New Deal Plus for Lone Parents pilots; quarterly work focused interviews; national extension and retention of in-work credit; in-work advisory support from Jobcentre Plus advisers; national rollout of the in-work emergency discretion fund; piloting the provision of up-front child care costs in London; and a new credit to help them be better off in work. Lone parents on JSA will also be supported by our integrated employment and skills service and the flexible New Deal.
	We have also recently announced the formation of a Joint Child Poverty Unit bringing together the expertise of officials in both the DWP and the Department for Children, Schools and Families. The unit will also be working closely with HM Treasury and other Government departments to ensure that there is a coherent cross-Government approach to tackling child poverty.

Debts

John Battle: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions in how many cases his Department has issued a debt recovery waiver with regard to the money owed to his Department where there are very special circumstances under medical grounds.

James Plaskitt: In 2006, 37 cases received a full or partial waiver of an outstanding benefit overpayment on medical grounds. Between January and November 2007, that figure was 63. Prior to 2006, the reason for the waiver was not recorded.

Departmental Christmas

Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how much his Department and its agencies have spent on Christmas  (a) cards,  (b) parties and  (c) decorations in each of the last five years.

Anne McGuire: The Department does not have any account codes or categories specifically identifying spend on Christmas cards, decorations or parties; to try to identify any such expenditure would incur a disproportionate amount of time and cost.

Departmental Christmas

Danny Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how much has been  (a) made available to and  (b) taken up by his Department's agencies for the purchase of Christmas decorations.

Anne McGuire: holding answer 10 December 2007
	 The Department does not have any account codes or categories specifically identifying spend on Christmas decorations and to try and identify any such expenditure would involve a disproportionate amount of time and cost.

Financial Assistance Scheme

Nigel Waterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions when he expects to publish Andrew Young's final report on the financial assistance scheme.

Mike O'Brien: Today.

Financial Assistance Scheme: Expenditure

Jennifer Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how much his Department spent on  (a) administration and  (b) legal fees for the financial assistance scheme in each month since March; and if he will make a statement.

Mike O'Brien: holding answer 4 December 2007
	 The information is as follows.
	
		
			   
			  Current financial year 2007-08  Expenditure  Legal fees  Total in month spend 
			 April 2007 126,436 0 126,436 
			 May 2007 124,408 0 124,408 
			 June 2007 137,749 0 137,749 
			 July 2007(1) 544,794 0 544,794 
			 August 2007 153,413 0 153,413 
			 September 2007(2) 279,951 0 279,951 
			 October 2007 163,836 0 163,836 
			 Total April 2007 to October 2007 (Actual) 1 ,530,587 0 1,530,587 
			 Overall total to October 2007-08 1,530,587 
			 (1) July costs include an element for IT (maintenance) annual costs circa 451,434. (2) September costs include an element for IT (licence and change requests) annual costs circa 159,000.

Jobcentre Plus: Stroud

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  how many telephone calls have been made to the St. Austell call centre by benefit recipients  (a) through the Job Centre Plus office in Stroud and  (b) using outside lines but registered through the Stroud office in each week since it opened;
	(2)  when he plans to make an evaluation of the effectiveness of the call centre at St. Austell.

Caroline Flint: The administration of Jobcentre Plus is a matter for the chief executive of Jobcentre Plus, Lesley Strathie. I have asked her to provide my hon. Friend with the information requested.
	 Letter from Mel Groves, dated 14 December 2007:
	The Secretary of State has asked Lesley Strathie to reply to your questions asking how many telephone calls have been made to the St Austell call centre by benefit recipients through the Job Centre Plus office in Stroud. Specifically, how many are using outside lines but registered through the Stroud office in each week since it opened, and when he plans to make an evaluation of the effectiveness of the call centre at St Austell. This is something which falls within the responsibilities delegated to Ms Strathie as Chief Executive of Jobcentre Plus. I am replying in her absence as Acting Chief Executive.
	The centre in St Austell is not a call centre but a Benefit Delivery Centre (BDC), dealing with the assessment of customers' claims to benefit. Although BDCs do have records of call volumes by benefit, the telephony system in place does not record where the customer is calling from. I am therefore unable to answer your question about the number of calls made by our Stroud customers.
	In line with every Benefit Delivery Centre, St Austell reviews its performance on a regular basis. St Austell is currently meeting Actual Average Clearance Time targets for Jobseeker's Allowance, Income Support and Incapacity Benefit claims.
	I hope this is helpful.

Jobseeker's Allowance

Karen Buck: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions whether it is his policy that parents of disabled children who are not claiming disability living allowance should be encouraged to claim jobseeker's allowance.

Anne McGuire: Parents of disabled children can claim jobseeker's allowance. For jobseeker's allowance to be paid, customers must meet conditions of entitlement, which includes being available for and actively seeking work. However, customers with caring responsibilities, such as parents of disabled children, can limit their availability for work to a minimum of 16 hours per week and do not have to be immediately available for work, providing they are willing and able to start work if given one week's notice and attend an interview if given 48 hours' notice.
	In the recently published Green Paper, 'In Work, Better Off: Next Steps to Full Employment', we have outlined proposals for lone parents who are able to work. Lone parents who also have other reasons for claiming income support, e.g. if they have children for whom the middle or highest rate care component of disability living allowance (DLA) is payable, or they claim carer's allowance (CA), or are fostering will continue to be eligible to claim income support.
	Details of our proposals are currently being finalised following the consultation and we will publish our response soon.

Jobseeker's Allowance: Lone Parents

Karen Buck: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what assessment his Department has made of the resources which would be required to implement a more flexible jobseeker's allowance regime for lone parents whose youngest child has reached 12, including resources  (a) for training for advisers and  (b) for decision makers.

Caroline Flint: Initial estimates around the resource requirements of our proposals for lone parents were presented in the Impact Assessment accompanying the Green Paper 'In work, Better Off: Next Steps to Full Employment'. They were based on a number of assumptions, pending completion of the consultation exercise.
	Details of our proposals are currently being finalised following the consultation. We will publish our response, together with an updated Impact Assessment soon. More detailed costs and implementation plans will be worked up over the coming months.

National Insurance: Foreign Workers

James Clappison: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many national insurance numbers have been issued to EU A8 nationals in  (a) each year and  (b) each quarter since 1 January 2004, broken down by nationality; and what the percentage change was in each period, broken down by nationality.

James Plaskitt: holding answer 12 November 2007
	 The available information from National Statistics is in the following table.
	
		
			  EU A8 nationals entering the UK registrations 
			  Year of registration date  Republic of Estonia  Republic of Latvia  Republic of Lithuania  Hungary  Poland  Republic of Slovenia  Czech Republic  Slovak Republic 
			  Number 
			 2003-04 230 720 3,860 980 11,200 240 1,190 1,400 
			 2004-05 1,730 6,520 15,790 3,880 62,550 770 7,420 11,470 
			 2005-06 3,030 14,320 30,880 8,600 171,360 490 13,190 27,430 
			 2006-07 2,060 11,090 24,110 10,880 222,760 530 11,750 28,840 
			  
			  Percentage change from previous year 
			 2003-04 35.3 71.4 109.8 34.2 87.3 0.0 2.6 42.9 
			 2004-05 652.2 805.6 309.1 295.9 458.5 220.8 523.5 719.3 
			 2005-06 75.1 119.6 95.6 121.6 174.0 -36.4 77.8 139.1 
			 2006-07 -32.0 -22.6 -21.9 26.5 30.0 8.2 -10.9 5.1 
			  Notes: 1. Figures are rounded to the nearest ten. Some additional disclosure control has been applied. 2. Percentages are rounded to one decimal place. 3. Years referred to are financial years. Reliable quarterly estimates from National Statistics are not currently available.  Source:  100 per cent. extract from National Insurance Recording System at 14 May 2007.

New Deal for Musicians

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how much the new deal for musicians has cost in each of the last 10 years.

Caroline Flint: New deal for musicians (NDfM) started in 1999. Information on the cost of NDfM in each year since then is in the following table.
	
		
			  New deal for musicians 
			million 
			 1999-2000 2.3 
			 2000-01 5.8 
			 2001-02 6.0 
			 2002-03 4.7 
			 2003-04 3.8 
			 2004-05 4.0 
			 2005-06 2.4 
			 2006-07 1.5 
			  Notes:  1. Spend excludes admin costs.  2. Spend for 2006-07 is confirmed spend.   Source:  Department for Work and Pensions and Jobcentre Plus Finance Directorates

New Deal for Musicians

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  how many people have entered the new deal for musicians in each of the last 10 years;
	(2)  how many people have left the new deal for musicians and  (a) gone into sustained employment,  (b) gone into employment,  (c) returned to or continued receiving benefit payments immediately on leaving,  (d) returned to benefit payments within six months and  (e) returned to benefit payments within one year.

Caroline Flint: New deal for musicians (NDfM) aims to help aspiring unemployed musicians into a sustainable career in the music industry, either as artists under contract or unsupported self-employed artists within the music industry.
	New deal for musicians is delivered as part of the mainstream new deal for young people and new deal 25 plus programmes; participant numbers and job outcomes for new deal for musicians are now incorporated into statistics for these mainstream programmes.
	The available information on the number of people who have entered new deal for musicians in each year is in the following table.
	
		
			  Number of participants in new deal for musicians 
			   Total in year  () 
			 1999 1,515 
			 2000 3,484 
			 2001 4,015 
			 2002 2,859 
			 2003 (Up to 28 August 2003) 1,590 
			 Total 13,463 
			  Source: New deal for musicians database. 
		
	
	Separate information on the number of people who have left new deal for musicians for employment is only available up to November 2005 and only available for those leaving for sustained jobs. Up to the end of November 2005, 3,880(1)( )people had left the programme for sustained employment.
	The remaining requested information is not available.
	( 1) Source:
	New deal evaluation database, DWP information directorate

New Deal for Musicians

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how much it cost to establish the new deal for musicians' website www.ndfmlearning.com; and how much it cost to operate it in the last 12 months.

Caroline Flint: The new deal for musicians' website at www.ndfmlearning.com provides access to open learning materials relevant to the new deal for musicians programme and employment in the music industry.
	The website cost 17,860 to establish and 5,550 to operate in the last 12 months.

New Deal for Musicians

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how much it cost to develop and produce the wordbooks for the new deal for musicians.

Caroline Flint: New deal for musicians (NDfM) aims to help aspiring unemployed musicians into a sustainable career in the music industry, either as artists under contract or unsupported self-employed artists within the music industry.
	There are nine new deal for musicians workbooks covering subjects such as: jobs in the music industry; recording and production; copyright, and performing. They are available as paper copies and as downloads from the website www.ndfm.learning.com.
	The total cost up to November 2007 of developing and producing the workbooks is 269,059.

New Deal Schemes: Music

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many hits the ndfmlearning.com website received in each of the last 10 years for which data are available.

Caroline Flint: The new deal for musicians website www.ndfmlearning.com was launched on the 21 July 2005 and was fully accessible from the 23 February 2006. Full data on the number of visits to the website is only available from that date.
	In the period 23 February 2006 to 31 December 2006 there were 8,583 visitors to the site and they viewed 24,841 web pages; in the period 1 January 2007 to 31 October 2007(1 )there were 8,375 visitors and they viewed 25,187 web pages.
	(1)Latest available data.

New Deal for Young People: Employment

James Clappison: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many of the entrants to the new deal for young people found sustained employment during  (a) the four month Gateway period and  (b) the period of activity on mandatory options in each year since the inception of the programme; and what percentage of those engaged in each of the four options found sustained employment.

Caroline Flint: New deal for young people (NDYP) is mandatory for people aged 18 to 24 who have been claiming jobseeker's allowance (JSA) for six months. Participants enter a Gateway lasting up to 16 weeks during which personal advisers provide intensive support to improve the job prospects of participants. Those who have not found work at the end of the Gateway period are referred onto one of four options:
	The employment option;
	Full-time education and training option;
	Voluntary sector option; and
	Environment task force option.
	People who have not found work through the options are referred to the follow-through period of NDYP.
	The available information has been placed in the Library.

New Deal Schemes

James Clappison: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what percentage of those leaving  (a) the new deal for young people and  (b) New Deal 25 plus recommenced claiming benefits within (i) six months and (ii) 12 months of leaving the scheme in each year since the schemes began.

Caroline Flint: People who have been on the new deal programme who subsequently return to benefits may be in receipt of out of work or inactive benefits and may not, due to changes in personal circumstances, necessarily return to the benefit they were claiming before they participated in the new deal.
	Information on the percentage of leavers from new deal for young people and new deal 25 plus who recommenced claiming benefits within six and 12 months is in the following table.
	
		
			  Percentage of leavers from new deal for young people and new deal 25 plus who recommenced claiming benefits within six and 12 months of leaving the programmes 
			   New deal for young people  New deal 25 plus 
			   6 months  12 months  6 months  12 months 
			 1998 14 36 14 31 
			 1999 29 50 17 33 
			 2000 31 52 18 35 
			 2001 32 53 19 35 
			 2002 32 53 21 37 
			 2003 31 51 21 37 
			 2004 30 50 22 38 
			 2005 28 48 21 36 
			 2006 27 47 21 36 
			  Notes: 1. Latest data is to May 2007, therefore, allowing for a 12 month gap, only new deal leavers to May 2006 are included within the 12 month column; allowing for a 6 month gap, only new deal leavers to November 2006 are included within the 6 month column. 2. People claiming within 6 months will also be included as claiming within 12 months. 3. The benefits included are: incapacity benefits, invalid care allowance, income support, jobseeker's allowance, severe disablement allowance and widows/bereavement benefits. 4. A benefit claim has only been included if it is a new claim after leaving new deal. People can leave new deal and continue a benefit claim; these people are not included as returning to benefit.  Source:  Information Directorate, Department for Work and Pensions

Pensioners

Fraser Kemp: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many pensioners took up pension credits in each of the last five years.

Mike O'Brien: The answer is in the following table.
	The numbers of households receiving, and individual beneficiaries of pension credit in each of the last five years are shown in the following table.
	
		
			   Number of households receiving pension credit  Number of individual beneficiaries of pension credit 
			 November 2003 2.08 2.50 
			 May 2004 2.49 3.02 
			 May 2005 2.68 3.26 
			 May 2006 2.72 3.32 
			 May 2007 2.73 3.34 
			  Notes: 1. The number of households in receipt are rounded to the nearest ten thousand. 2. Pension credit was introduced in October 2003 so data for 2003 is as at November. 3. Household recipients are those people who claim pension credit either for themselves only or on behalf of a household. 4. The number of individual beneficiaries includes both claimants and their partners, some of whom may be under 60 years of age. 5. Time series data includes minimum income guarantee (MIG) cases: households on income support where the claimant and/or partner are aged 60 or over. About 1.8 million MIG cases transferred to pension credit on 6 October 2003.  Source:  DWP Work and Pensions Longitudinal Study 100 per cent. data

Pensions

Paul Rowen: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what contingency plans he has put in place should pension and benefits claimants be unable to access their payments before Christmas 2007.

James Plaskitt: Our contingency plans, which are flexible and proven, include prioritising our resources to ensure that our customers receive their payments on time. Every departmental business area has business continuity plans in place to support this top priority. Emergency payments can be made using our out of hours service where required.

Poverty: Children

Julia Goldsworthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions on what date the first meeting of the Joint Child Poverty Unit was held.

Caroline Flint: The formation of the Child Poverty Unit was announced at the Barnados 'Paying the Price of Child Poverty' conference on 29 October and the unit formally came into being on 12 November. It brings together officials from the Department for Work and Pensions and the Department for Children, Schools and Families who now work side by side.

Social Fund: Administration

Danny Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how much has been spent on average per year on the administration of the Social Fund in the last five years; and what proportion of this has been spent on the delivery of frontline services.

James Plaskitt: The administration of Jobcentre Plus is a matter for the Chief Executive, Lesley Strathie. I have asked her to reply to the hon. Member.
	 Letter from Mel Groves, dated 14 December 2007 :
	The Secretary of State has asked me to reply to your question concerning how much has been spent on average per year on the administration of the Social Fund in the last five years; and what proportion of this has been spent on the delivery of front line services. This is something which falls within the responsibilities delegated to Ms Strathie as Chief Executive of Jobcentre Plus. I am replying in her absence as Acting Chief Executive.
	Our unit cost information only goes back to 2003/4. The average expenditure per year on the administration of Social Fund over the last four years is 74m. In 2006/7, 86% of the total expenditure was on the delivery of customer facing services.
	I hope this is helpful.

Social Security Benefits

Andrew Selous: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many  (a) people and  (b) lone parents lost all of their benefit as a result of not attending repeat work-focused interviews at Jobcentre Plus offices in each of the last three years for which figures are available.

Caroline Flint: holding answer 10 December 2007
	Primary claimants of inactive benefits i.e. sick and disabled people, lone parents, carers and widow/ers are required to attend repeat Work Focused Interviews (WFIs).
	Sanctions are applied as a last resort following failure to attend a mandatory WFI without good reason. The sanction ends when the claimant complies with their obligation to attend the WFI, or when the requirement to attend is waived.
	Most repeat WFIs are carried out with disabled people, under the Pathways regime, and lone parents. The number of people in these categories that have lost all, rather than some of their benefit, due to failing to attend repeat WFIs is less than 10 in each of the last three years. Under Data Protection rules, a more specific number cannot be provided.
	The requested information for carers, widow(er)s and disabled people not under the Pathways regime could be obtained only at disproportionate cost. People in these groups have very few repeat WFIs and it is very unlikely that any will have lost their benefits due to failing to attend such interviews.

Translation Services

Cheryl Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the reasons were for the decision to terminate the contracts of suppliers of translation services to his Department and change the procurement process for these services.

Anne McGuire: There are no contracts which have been cancelled for the provision of translation services since the current DWP framework for translation services was awarded in December 2005.

Translation Services

Cheryl Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  what rate per 1,000 words is charged by the companies employed to translate documents for his Department;
	(2)  what rate was paid to translators per 1,000 words providing direct services to his Department in the last 12 months;
	(3)  which companies have been awarded a formal contract for providing translation services to his Department;
	(4)  which translators carried out work for his Department in each of the last three years; and how much was paid to those translators.

Anne McGuire: The Department is currently conducting a procurement exercise for the provision of translation services and as such, under the commercial and restricted information rules (sections 41 and 43 of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 and section 43 of the Public Contracts Regulations 2006), I regret that the information requested, in particular current pricing rates, cannot be released as this may be seen as a breach of competition rules.

Welfare Tax Credits: EC Action

Andrew Selous: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions pursuant to the oral answer of 29 November 2007,  Official Report, column 426, on tax credits, whether the Government held discussions during the UK presidency of the EU on reform of EC Regulations 1408/71 and 574/72; and whether it has done so since then.

James Plaskitt: No discussions on reform of EC Regulations 1408/71 or 574/72 were held during the UK presidency of the EU in the second half of 2005.
	Early in 2004, under the Irish presidency, the Council of Ministers and the European Parliament had reached agreement on all but the Annexes to Regulation 883/2004, which updates Regulation 1408/71. This will start to apply when its implementing Regulation comes into force. Discussions on the details of an implementing Regulation to replace Regulation 574/72 began, under the Austrian presidency, in February 2006 and are continuing.
	Proposals for the Annexes to Regulation 883/2004 have also been under discussion since early in 2006. Minor miscellaneous amendments to the Regulations are also made approximately annually.
	Parliament is kept informed of these proposals and of the progress of negotiations through the scrutiny process.

PRIME MINISTER

Conrad Black

Andrew MacKinlay: To ask the Prime Minister what communications there were between the Government and the Government of Canada on the proposal to appoint Conrad Black to the United Kingdom peerage relating to his Canadian citizenship at that time.

Gordon Brown: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer given to him by my predecessor (right hon. Tony Blair) on 26 June 2007,  Official Report, column 618W.

Pensions

Paul Rowen: To ask the Prime Minister what representations he has received on the timetable for pension and benefits payments in the period before Christmas 2007.

Gordon Brown: Since 27 June 2007 my Office has received approximately 2,170 letters about pensions and benefits. Given the volume of correspondence I receive, thousands of letters each week covering a broad spectrum of issues, my office records letters by subject rather than by view expressed.

Regional Government: Public Participation

Theresa May: To ask the Prime Minister 
	(1)  who was invited to take part in the consultation on the Government's draft legislative programme by the Ministers for  (a) the North East,  (b) the North West,  (c) Yorkshire and the Humber,  (d) London,  (e) the South East,  (f) the South West,  (g) the East Midlands,  (h) the West Midlands and  (i) the East of England;
	(2)  what representations he has received on central government policy relevant to economic growth and sustainable development from the ministers for  (a) the North East,  (b) the North West,  (c) Yorkshire and the Humber,  (d) London,  (e) the South East,  (f) the South West,  (g) the East Midlands,  (h) the West Midlands and  (i) the East of England;
	(3)  which high level events have been attended by the Ministers for  (a) the North East,  (b) the North West,  (c) Yorkshire and the Humber,  (d) London,  (e) the South East,  (f) the South West,  (g) the East Midlands,  (h) the West Midlands and  (i) the East of England.

Hazel Blears: I have been asked to reply.
	Ministers in their Regional Ministers' role do not make policy decisions for their regions; they are Central Government's advocates in the regions.
	All Regional Ministers consulted with stakeholders on the Government draft legislative programme in September and October. In addition a number wrote to interested parties inviting their views. Among those consulted were representatives from local authorities, business, public institutions, voluntary and community sectors, Members of Parliament and Peers, and environmental groups.
	Regional Ministers have contributed to the development of Government policy across a range of areas, including economic growth and sustainable development, since their establishment in June.
	All Regional Ministers have taken part in a number of high level engagements within their regions, including meetings with local authorities and other organisations, attendance at stakeholder events and visits to local projects and communities.

HOME DEPARTMENT

101 Calls

Jim Cousins: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what sum she has allocated to the 101 helpline service in the Northumbria police authority area; and how many calls have been received.

Tony McNulty: holding answer 10 December 2007
	From 31 December 2005 to 31 December 2007, 4,280,756 has been allocated to fund the implementation and operation of the 101 service in the Northumbria police authority area. The service has received approximately 250,000 calls from the public since being launched on 3 July 2006.

Alcoholic Drinks: Crime Prevention

James Brokenshire: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many local authorities have contacted her Department expressing an interest in establishing an alcohol disorder zone since the detailed guidance on the scheme was published.

Vernon Coaker: None. The consultation with stakeholders regarding alcohol disorder zones (ADZ), following the receipt of Royal Assent to the enabling provisions of the Violent Crime Reduction Act 2006, included the Local Government Association and focused on the detail of the policy rather than seeking to determine the likely take-up of the statutory power by local areas. The guidance outlines that an ADZ can only be designated jointly with the police force, and we would not expect therefore to receive representations from local authorities until final ratification of the statutory instrument in Parliament.

Alcoholic Drinks: Sales

James Brokenshire: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department which police basic command units are participating in the Responsible Alcohol Sales Campaign; and how much funding for this purpose each will receive from her Department.

Vernon Coaker: 93 police basic command units nationally are currently participating in the Responsible Alcohol Sales Campaign. Listing the units taking part in the live campaign at this time may undermine the influence and impact of the campaign.
	The Home Office is providing 250,000 funding for the campaign.

Alcoholic Drinks: Sales

James Brokenshire: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what criteria will be used to assess the effectiveness of the Responsible Alcohol Sales Campaign.

Vernon Coaker: Evaluation of the campaign will be conducted using the data returns from each participating BCU and assessing performance against the criteria for participation in the campaign compared to those areas that did not participate in the campaign.

Alcoholic Drinks: Young People

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what estimate she has made of the number and proportion of retailers who have sold  (a) tobacco and  (b) alcohol products to underage customers in each local authority area in Hampshire since 2005.

Vernon Coaker: Information on the number of defendants proceeded against for offences relating to the sale of  (a) tobacco, and  (b) alcohol to underage persons can be found in Table 1.
	In addition, information on the number of penalty notices for disorder (PNDs) issued to persons aged 16 and over for offences relating to the sale of  (b) alcohol to underage persons can be found in Table 2.
	Court proceedings and PND data for 2007 will be available in the autumn of 2008.
	The Home Office does not routinely record or hold information in relation to the proportion of tobacco sales at the national or local level.
	Following the Tackling Underage Sales of Alcohol Campaign (TUSAC) 2007 the proportion of underage alcohol sales in Hampshire through the test purchase failure rate of targeted perceived problem premises was 15 per cent.
	
		
			  N umber of defendants proceeded against at magistrates courts for offences of selling alcohol, or tobacco to underage persons in Hampshire police force area for the years 2005 to 2006( 1, 2, 3) 
			  Statute  Offence description  2005  2006 
			 Licensing Act 1964 S.169 A and B as added by Licensing (Young Persons) Act 2001 S.1 Selling etc intoxicating liquor to person under 18 for consumption on the premises 11 2 
			 Licensing Act 1964 S. 181 A(l) as added by Licensing Act 1988 S. 17 Wholesaler selling intoxicating liquor to a person under 18   
			 Licensing Act 2003 S.146 Sale of alcohol to person under 18   
			 Licensing Act 2003 S.147 Allowing sale of alcohol to person under 18   
			 Children and Young Persons Act 1933 S.7 Sale of tobacco etc to persons under 16 years   
			 Total  11 2 
			 (1) These data are on the principal offence basis.  (2) Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts and police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used.  (3) The Licensing Act 2003 came into force on 24 November 2005.   Source:  Court proceedings database held by RDS OCJR (Office for Criminal Justice Reform) - Ministry of Justice 
		
	
	
		
			  Number of Penalty Notices for Disorder issued to all persons aged 16 and over, for the offence of sale of alcohol to a person under 18 in Hampshire police force area for the years 2005 and 2006( 1) 
			80 ticket offences 
			  Sale of alcohol to person under 18   
			 2005 DA07 67 
			 2006 DA18 109 
			 (1) Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used.   Source:  Court proceedings database held by RDS OCJR (Office for Criminal Justice Reform) - Ministry of Justice

Asylum

John Baron: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  what estimate she has made of the number of failed asylum seekers in the UK in each of the last 10 years;
	(2)  what estimate she has made of the number of illegal immigrants living in the UK in each of the last 10 years;
	(3)  what estimate she has made of the proportion of immigration which was illegal in each of the last 10 years.

Liam Byrne: holding answer 3 December 2007
	 No Government have ever been able to produce an accurate figure for the number of people who remain in the country illegally. Some will go to considerable lengths to remain undetected, others leave without informing the authorities, and it is therefore impossible to quantify accurately.

Asylum: Free School Meals

Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many recipients of support under Part VI of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999 were  (a) eligible for and  (b) claiming free school meals in the latest period for which figures are available.

Liam Byrne: holding answer 10 December 2007
	All pupils whose parents are being supported under Part VI of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999 are eligible for free school meals. The Border and Immigration Agency does not have access to data on how many of those eligible are claiming school meals.

Asylum: Young People

Humfrey Malins: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many asylum applications have been made by persons aged under 18 years old in each of the last four years; how many have been  (a) granted and  (b) refused; and how many such persons have been granted leave to remain.

Liam Byrne: The following table shows asylum applications received in the United Kingdom by persons aged under 18 years old at time of application in each of the last four years.
	Information on the number of initial decisions made on these applications would be available only by examination of individual case records at disproportionate cost.
	Information on asylum applications by age of applicant is published annually. Copies of these publications are available from the Library of the House and from the Home Office Research, Development and Statistics website at:
	http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/immigration1.html
	
		
			  Applications( 1, 2 ) received for asylum in the United Kingdom, excluding dependants, by persons aged under 18 at time of application. 
			   Number 
			 2003 7,865 
			 2004 6,205 
			 2005 5,165 
			 2006(3) 4,580 
			 (1) Figures rounded to the nearest 5.  (2) This figure may overstate because some applicants aged 18 or over may claim to be younger on leaving their country of origin.  (3) Provisional figures.

BAE Systems

Norman Lamb: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  on what date her Department received the original mutual legal assistance request from the US Department of Justice on BAE Systems; what representations her Department has received from  (a) the US Administration,  (b) BAE Systems,  (c) other Government Departments and  (d) other persons about the progress of the mutual legal assistance request; and on what dates these representations were made;
	(2)  whether her Department has forwarded a copy of the US Department of Justice's mutual legal assistance request on BAE Systems to  (a) the Serious Fraud Office and  (b) another law enforcement agency.

Meg Hillier: I refer the hon. Member to previous answers provided on this matter. I can confirm that the Home Office received a request for assistance from the USA in respect of corruption allegations concerning BAE Systems on 23 June 2007. The request is being dealt with in accordance with the bi-lateral treaty on mutual legal assistance between the UK and the USA. It would be inappropriate to comment further.

BAE Systems

Norman Lamb: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department with reference to the answer of 19 July 2007,  Official Report, column 504W, on BAE Systems inquiry, what protocols are encompassed by the phrase considered in the usual way.

Meg Hillier: Requests for mutual legal assistance are received by the UK central authority within the Home Office. They are considered under the relevant UK legislation, namely the Crime (International Co-operation) Act 2003, in conjunction with international convention or treaty obligations that may be pertinent. The central authority receives approximately 5,000 such requests from other states per annum.
	Requests are checked to ensure that they come from a competent judicial authority and that they relate to criminal investigations or proceedings being conducted by the requesting state. Checks are also conducted on the requests to ensure there are no issues relating to double jeopardy or human rights considerations such as the death penalty.
	While the majority of these cases are straightforward and can be processed relatively quickly, some of the more complex cases require more consideration.

Bail

David Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many street bails there were in each police force area in each year since 2003.

Tony McNulty: The information requested is not collected centrally.

Bicester Accommodation Centre

Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans her Department has to act upon the recommendations made by the National Audit Office in its report, The cancellation of Bicester Accommodation Centre; and if she will make a statement.

Liam Byrne: I welcome the NAO's report into the Bicester Accommodation Centre. The report made six recommendations about the project management approach to major projects. The report also acknowledges both the dynamic context of the project and the system and process improvements that have been made since the Accommodation Centre Project began. In particular:
	the Home Office has a senior board to scrutinise all major investment decisions which is now firmly embedded as part of the Home Office operating model. This has developed alongside the wider project management capability with the Department;
	the Border and Immigration Agency has a senior Approvals Committee which acts as an initial scrutiny chamber, approving all BIA projects over 1 million. Costs and benefits are challenged as part of this process;
	new processes have been introduced to ensure that business cases are assessed for their strategic fit with existing operations and future business change programmes; and
	the agency now routinely identifies and monitors dependencies, risks and issues, both at individual project and programme level and across business change programmes, and flags concerns as necessary in monthly reporting to its board and Ministers.

Border and Immigration Agency

Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when she plans to publish the Border and Immigration Agency's strategy on mitigating risk from the common travel area; and if she will make a statement.

Liam Byrne: We are currently reviewing the rules and operation of the common travel area as set out in the 'Securing the UK Border' strategy (March 2007). We will consult common travel area interests as this review is taken forward. The results of the review will be announced in due course.

Border Police Force

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the budget is for the Border Police Force in  (a) 2007-08 and  (b) 2008-09.

Tony McNulty: Policing at the border is provided by local police forces.
	The cost of police at ports is met by police authorities as part of their forces' overall policing duties, but in some cases, such as where an airport is 'designated' under the terms of the Aviation Security Act 1982, contributions are provided by airport operators. No central record is kept of these costs.
	A contribution to the cost of special branch officers at ports is made by the Home Office through dedicated security post grants. A total of 212.5 million is being paid to police forces for these and other posts under this mechanism in 2007-08. For security reasons, we do not disclose the breakdown of this grant between different security functions.
	The allocations for 2008-09 have not yet been made.

Case Resolution Directorate

Kate Hoey: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many cases the Case Resolution Directorate is dealing with; and how many of these have been brought by residents in Vauxhall constituency.

Liam Byrne: In his statement on 19 July 2006, my right hon. Friend the previous Home Secretary advised that the Border and Immigration Agency would resolve its backlog of electronic and paper records relating to unresolved asylum cases in five years or less. The chief executive of the Border and Immigration Agency has given an undertaking to update the Home Affairs Committee before the end of December and this will include information on the progress of this work up to the present time.

Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis

Nigel Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what discussions she has had with the Metropolitan Police Commissioner on the duration of his appointment.

Tony McNulty: holding answer 11 December 2007
	My right hon. Friend the Home Secretary and I have regular meetings with the Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police and they discuss a variety of topics.

Computer Misuse Act 1990

James Brokenshire: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when she expects the amendments to the Computer Misuse Act 1990 made by the Police and Justice Act 2006 to become effective; and what guidance has been published in relation to the new offences created thereby.

Tony McNulty: The amendments to the Computer Misuse Act 1990 will come into effect after April 2008. We expect to publish the guidance shortly, and an exact date is being determined.

Crime Prevention

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps the Government has taken to involve local communities in crime reduction since 1997.

Tony McNulty: holding answer 13 December 2007
	Section 96 of the Police Act 1996 placed a statutory duty on police authorities to make arrangements for obtaining the views of people in the force area about matters concerning the policing of the area. It is for police authorities to determine locally the methods they adopt to consult with the community. The Crime and Disorder Act 1998 established partnerships between police, local authorities, fire and rescue authorities, Primary Care Trusts in England and Local Health Boards in Wales and police authorities. Under new regulations that came into effect in August 2007, partnerships are required to consult and engage with their communities to identify local crime and disorder priorities, as part of a new set of minimum standards. Partnerships are also required to identify ways in which their communities can support the delivery of those priorities. These new requirements will ensure that local communities are able to influence, and be involved in, crime reduction work at the local level.

Crimes of Violence

James Brokenshire: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the answer of 5 December 2007,  Official Report, column 1218W, on crimes of violence, when she expects the operating model informing proposals to deal with gang membership will be completed.

Vernon Coaker: As stated in the previous reply, the Metropolitan police may be looking to develop this model as part of their work to tackle gangs through the five boroughs alliance. In Boston the model took some 18 months to put together, and it is considered critical that all the relevant elements are fully in place before the London model is launched, in order to ensure its effectiveness.

Departmental Recycling

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much her Department recycled in terms of  (a) volume of total waste and  (b) percentage of total waste in each of the last five years.

Liam Byrne: The following table provides departmental data from 2002-03 until 2005-06, the latest year for which figures have been published. The figures include data from some office properties on the Borders and Immigration Agency and Identity and Passport Service estates. It also includes figures from the public sector prison estate which was part of the Home Office estate until May 2007. The table shows an increase in the amount of waste arisings year on year, which reflects an increase in the total number of properties reported on.
	
		
			  metric tonnes 
			   Total waste arisings  Percentage of total waste recycled 
			 2002-03 985 25 
			 2003-04 4,521 31 
			 2004-05 10,879 35.4 
			 2005-06 17,679 35.5 
			 2006-07 (1) (1) 
			 (1 )Not yet published 
		
	
	The Home Office continues to explore opportunities to increase further the amount of waste recycled and to identify opportunities for waste minimisation. These initiatives will be supported by more reliable data systems that will be realised through our new shared service operations, as well as by procurement initiatives.

Departmental Visits Abroad

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much her Department spent on overnight accommodation for Ministers overseas in the last year.

Liam Byrne: Details of the cost of overseas travel, including the cost of travel and accommodation are contained in the Overseas Travel by Cabinet Ministers list. The latest list for the period 1 April 2006-31 March 2007 was published on 25 July 2007. Details for the 2007-08 financial year will be published as soon as possible after the end of the financial year. All travel is made in accordance with the ministerial code.

Deportation

James Clappison: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many asylum claimants whose claims have failed have been deported or otherwise removed from the UK since 1 April 2003.

Liam Byrne: holding answer 10 December 2007
	Between April 2003 and September 2007, inclusive, a total of 72,550 asylum applicants have been removed from the UK; 62,020 of these had claimed asylum at some stage as principal applicants and 10,530 were dependants of asylum applicants. These figures have been rounded to the nearest five and are provisional.
	These figures include enforced removals, persons refused entry at port and subsequently removed (including cases dealt with at juxtaposed controls), persons leaving voluntarily after enforcement action had been initiated against them and persons leaving under Assisted Voluntary Return Programmes run by the International Organization for Migration. Removals since January 2005 also include those who it is established have left the UK without informing the immigration authorities.
	Persons departing voluntarily can leave the UK at any time without informing the authorities. The Border and Immigration Agency often learns of such people departing after they have left the UK, and hence, it is not always possible to say when they left. Since voluntary departures are included in figures on removals it is therefore not possible to say at what stage in the asylum process people are removed.
	National statistics on immigration and asylum are available from the House of Commons Library.

Deportation: Sudan

Hugo Swire: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many Sudanese  (a) migrants and  (b) asylum seekers have been deported to Sudan in each of the last five years.

Liam Byrne: The following table shows the total number of Sudanese nationals removed to Sudan between January 2004 and June 2007, broken down into asylum applicants and non-asylum cases. Information on the total number of persons (including non-asylum cases) removed from the UK in 2007 is not currently available. Information on the destination of persons removed from the UK has been recorded only since the start of 2004.
	Published statistics on immigration and asylum are available from the Library of the House.
	
		
			  Removals, voluntary departures and assisted returns( 1) , nationals of Sudan, to Sudan, January 2004 to June 2007( 2, 3) 
			  Number of removals 
			  Period  2004  2005  2006( 3)  January to June 2007( 3) 
			 Total removals of Sudanese nationals to Sudan(1) 35 55 85 n/a 
			  Of which: 
			 Asylum applicants(4) 30 45 75 45 
			 Non-asylum cases 5 10 10 n/a 
			 n/a = Figures are not available.(  1) Includes enforced removals, persons refused entry at port and subsequently removed (including cases dealt with at juxtaposed controls), persons departing voluntarily after enforcement action had been initiated against them, persons leaving under Assisted Voluntary Return Programmes run by the International Organization for Migration and since January 2005 those who it is established have left the UK without informing the immigration authorities.  (2) Figures rounded to the nearest five and may not sum to the totals shown because of independent rounding.  (3) Provisional figures.  (4) Persons who had sought asylum at some stage, including dependants.

Driving Under Influence

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether she plans to lower the permitted alcohol levels in relation to drink driving offences; and what recent research has been commissioned on this subject.

Jim Fitzpatrick: I have been asked to reply.
	The most recent assessment of the possible effect of a change in the legal limit was included in the 1998 consultation paper Combating Drink Driving: Next Steps, a copy of which is in the Library of the House. The Government keeps this issue under review.

Dungavel Immigration Reception Centre

Adam Ingram: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when the last ministerial visit was to Dungavel Immigration Reception Centre; and when  (a) she and  (b) her ministerial team next plans to visit the centre.

Liam Byrne: The last ministerial visit to Dungavel Immigration Removal Centre was made by Tony McNulty in his capacity as Minister for Immigration in June 2005.
	As the current Minister of State for Borders and Immigration I intend to visit the centre in 2008.

Emergency Calls

John Cummings: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many 999 calls were made in the Durham police authority area in each year since 2000.

Tony McNulty: holding answer 10 December 2007
	The information requested is published in the Annual Reports of Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary (HMIC). The latest available data refers to the 2004-05 financial year, and are given in the table.
	
		
			  Emergency calls received in Durham police force area from 1999-2000 to 2004-05( 1) 
			   Number of calls 
			 1999-2000 61,657 
			 2000-01 57,548 
			 2001-02 59,926 
			 2002-03 67,072 
			 2003-04 59,327 
			 2004-05 82,346 
			 (1) HMIC have advised that emergency call handling data will no longer be published in their Annual Report and that the data for 2004-05 is the last series to be published.

Entry Clearances: Foreign Workers

James Clappison: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what research she has  (a) commissioned and  (b) evaluated into the likely change in the number of non-EU workers given leave to enter the UK as a result of the introduction of (i) the points-based system, (ii) the measures contained in Her Majesty's Gracious Speech and (iii) the introduction of further language requirements; and if she will publish such research.

Liam Byrne: The Migration Advisory Committee (MAC) and the Migration Impact forum (MIF) have been set up to help inform the development of immigration policy.

Entry Clearances: Iran

David Willetts: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether membership of or attachment to certain Iranian higher education institutions leads to a ban on an individual's entry into the UK.

Liam Byrne: Membership of, or attachment to, an Iranian higher education institution does not lead to an automatic ban on an individual's entry to the UK. All applications are considered on their individual merits.

Entry Clearances: Iran

David Willetts: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether Fereydoon Abbasi, Mohammad Tavalaei, Mohsen Fakhrizadeh, Mansour Asgari or Mohamad Amin Bassam of the Imam Hossein University in Tehran have been allowed admittance to the UK in the last 10 years; and whether they would currently be allowed into the UK.

Liam Byrne: It is not the policy of the Home Office to comment on individual cases.

Essex Police Authority: Finance

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the  (a) overspend or  (b) underspend was for Essex Police Authority in each year since 1990-91.

Tony McNulty: Police authorities are legally required to set balanced budgets taking into account any use of reserves. Decisions on the distribution of resources are matters for the Chief Officer and the Police Authority.

Essex Police: Sick Leave

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  what the average annual rate of sickness absence was in  (a) Southend and  (b) Essex police in each year since 1997;
	(2)  how many and what proportion of working days were lost due to  (a) sickness and  (b) stress, anxiety or depression in (i) Southend and (ii) Essex police in each year since 1997.

Tony McNulty: The available data are for the amount of police officer working time lost to sickness, breakdowns for the type of sickness are not collected centrally. Data are available for 2002-03 onwards at the police force level only.
	Police officer sickness absence data for 2002-03 onwards are available on the Home Office website, located at:
	http://www.police.homeoffice.gov.uk/performance-and-measurement/performance-assessment/
	For 2002-03 and 2003-04, the data are given in the 2003-04 police performance monitoring report, in the form of police officer days lost per person per year.
	For 2004-05 onwards, the data are given in the annual police performance assessment reports, in the form of average number of police officer hours lost per person per year.

Essex Police: Standards

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps the Government is taking to improve the quality of local policing in  (a) Southend and  (b) Essex; and if she will make a statement.

Tony McNulty: The Government are committed to ensuring every community in England and Wales has a neighbourhood policing team by April 2008. Neighbourhood policing teams, including those in Southend and Essex, are primarily concerned with engaging and working with communities in agreeing and tackling local policing priorities.
	There are 16 dedicated neighbourhood policing teams in the south eastern division which covers Southend, and 145 teams in total in Essex. In 2008-09, Essex will receive 6.84 million in funding to be used primarily for police community support officers (PCSOs), but also to contribute to wider neighbourhood policing.
	Furthermore, Essex police received a 'good' grading in their assessment of local priorities as part of the 2006-07 joint HMIC and Home Office police performance assessments. This reflects very positively on the force's performance in dealing with locally selected indicators set by the force and police authoritythose issues that are of particular concern to local citizens.

Extradition

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many extradition requests were made by the UK to  (a) the USA,  (b) each EU member state and  (c) other countries in each of the last five years; and how many of those were (i) successful and (ii) refused.

Meg Hillier: For the purposes of this reply, the answer gives details of requests made by England and Wales; requests from Scotland and Northern Ireland are matters for the Scotland Office and Northern Ireland Office respectively. Extradition requests in England and Wales originate with the prosecuting authorities.
	Since 1 January 2004, extradition between the UK and European Union has been conducted under the Framework Decision on the European Arrest Warrant (EAW), which was given effect in the UK by Part 1 of the Extradition Act 2003. The other EU member states have been designated under Part 1 of the Extradition Act 2003 at regular intervals. A separate table sets out the statistics for the EAW.
	If an extradition request was sent to a member state before that state began operating the EAW, the request will continue to be dealt with under the arrangements in place with that state when the request was made.
	It should be emphasised that a person is not always returned in the same year that an extradition request has been made.
	
		
			  Table 1: Extradition requests made by England and Wales 2003-07 
			   2003  2004  2005  2006  2007 
			  Country  Made  Returned ( r efused)  Made  Returned ( r efused)  Made  Returned ( r efused)  Made  Returned ( r efused)  Made  Returned ( r efused) 
			 Albania 1  
			 Australia 3 1 3 4 1  3 3  1 
			 Austria  1 
			 Barbados   2
			 Belgium 8 6  6   
			 Brazil 1  
			 Canada 1 3 1  1 1 2  1  
			 Cayman Islands 1 1 
			 Croatia 1  
			 Cyprus 2   1   
			 Czech Republic   1   1 
			 Denmark  1  1   
			 France 3 3(2) 3 3   1 1   
			 The Gambia   1
			 Germany 2 3 3 2 3 2 
			 Grenada 1 1 
			 India   12   1 
			 Israel   1 1   
			 Italy 2 2 3 1 1 2 
			 Jamaica 5 3 1 3 3 2 2
			 Kenya 1   (1)   
			 Kosovo 1 1 
			 Luxembourg 1  
			 Mauritius 1   1 1  
			 Morocco   1  1  
			 Netherlands 12 9 7 10  1  1   
			 Netherlands Antilles 1   1   
			 New Zealand   11  2 1 
			 Nigeria 11  
			 Norway   1   1 
			 Pakistan   2
			 Portugal 3 1 
			 Romania   1
			 Russia   2 (2) 1  
			 Serbia   1   1 
			 Singapore   11
			 Somalia   1   1 
			 South Africa 3 1 2  1  1 1 1 1 
			 Spain 28 25(1)  11 1 3  1  1 
			 Sri Lanka   2   1 1
			 Switzerland 1 1  1   1 1 1 1 
			 Thailand 1 2   1  1 1 2 2 
			 Turkey 1  1  1  
			 Ukraine 1  
			 United Arab Emirates 1  
			 United States of America 5 2 2 4 8 1 4 4 7 3 
			 Venezuela   1
			 Total 82 64(3) 35 49 29 17 31 14(3) 21 14 
		
	
	
		
			  Table 2: European arrest warrants issued by the UK to each member state, with number of subjects returned to the UK 
			   2004  2005  2006  2007* 
			  Country  Issued  Returns  Issued  Returns  Issued  Returns  Issued  Returns 
			 Austria (27 July 2004)   4 1 
			 Belgium (1 January 2004) 4 2 3 2 4 3 7 4 
			 Bulgaria (1 January 2007)   2 1 
			 Cyprus (27 July 2004) 4  3 1  1 4  
			 Czech Republic (1 March 2005) 5 1 2 5 
			 Denmark (1 January 2004)   1  3 2   
			 Estonia (1 March 2005) 2 2   
			 Finland (1 January 2004) 
			 France (27 July 2004) 7 2 8 7 16 9 12 6 
			 Germany (1 March 2005)   9 5 10 4 10 3 
			 Gibraltar (2 August 2007)   1  
			 Greece (1 March 2005) 2  5 3 2 2 3 1 
			 Hungary (27 July 2004)   1 1 
			 Ireland (1 January 2004) 21  32 4 52 22 31 22 
			 Italy (28 July 2005) 1  3 1 4 2 2  
			 Latvia (27 July 2004)   1 1   1  
			 Lithuania (27 July 2004)   1  3 2 2 2 
			 Luxembourg (27 July 2004) 1   1 
			 Malta (27 July 2004) 
			 The Netherlands (27 July 2004) 13 2 18 11 13 4 15 8 
			 Poland 27 July 2004)   1  4 2 6 2 
			 Portugal (1 January 2004) 4 2 3  5 2 3 1 
			 Romania (1 January 2007)   3  
			 Slovakia (1 March 2005) 1  2  
			 Slovenia (27 July 2004) 
			 Spain (1 January 2004) 60 12 57 30 31 19 45 27 
			 Sweden (1 January 2004)   1 1 1  2  
			 All 64  10

Firearms

Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what estimate she has made of the number of illegal firearms held in England and Wales; and if she will make a statement.

Vernon Coaker: There is no reliable method of assessing how many illegal firearms are held. Any estimate is unverifiable and likely to be misleading.

Fraud: Finance

Brian Iddon: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how the Government plan to divide the allocation of funding of 28 million to tackle fraud between the National Fraud Strategic Authority and the National Fraud Reporting Centre.

Vernon Coaker: The comprehensive spending review (CSR) allocated over 28 million in new money for 2008 to 2011 for the implementation of the Fraud review recommendations to establish a National Fraud Strategic Authority (including a National Fraud Loss Measurement Unit), a National Fraud Reporting Centre and a National Lead Force for fraud. Specific funding earmarked for each of these remains confidential under the terms of HM Treasury's settlement letter and due to the commercially sensitive nature of the current development work.

Fraud: Insurance

Brian Iddon: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if she will ensure that those activities identified as high risk by the National Fraud Strategic Authority receive additional police resources to tackle the risk of insurance fraud.

Vernon Coaker: The Government recently announced additional funding of over 28 million to implement the recommendations of the Fraud review. This includes funding to establish a national lead force for fraud which will provide a centre of expertise and resources to support fraud investigations. This is in addition to the 9.2 billion which chief officers will allocate according to national and local priorities. The police, along with other stakeholders, will be involved in developing the national fraud strategy, including the identification of high risk activities and the development of investigative capacity against fraud.

Frontiers: Personal Records

Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if she will make a statement on the inclusion of passenger name record information in the e-borders programme.

Liam Byrne: Legislation will shortly be introduced to require carriers to provide Travel Document Information (TDI) together with Passenger Name Record data (PNR) (otherwise known as Other Passenger Information (OPI) to e-Borders to the extent that it is known to the carrier.
	From March 2008 those carriers which provide OPI data under existing arrangements to Project Semaphore, the e-Borders pilot project, will be expected to continue to do so. The Government have funded transmission and transaction costs together with some systems change costs of participation in this pilot. Analysis of both OPI and TDI data has delivered significant operational benefits to border agencies, contributing to the arrest of individuals wanted for offences including murder, drug smuggling, rape and assault; and has led to the seizure of counterfeit travel documents, drugs and contraband. This arrangement however, was always with the understanding that the funding would cease in March 2008 and we will continue to fulfil our undertaking to industry to meet these costs until then.
	The e-Borders Programme will cover 95 per cent. of passenger movements by 2010 and is committed to using all reasonable efforts to achieve a fair roll out. This will be implemented progressively, in a consultative and collaborative manner with carriers and port operators.

Genetics: Databases

Richard Spring: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many children in  (a) the East of England and  (b) Suffolk have their DNA stored on a database; and how many of those have been charged with committing a criminal offence.

Meg Hillier: The number of individuals on the national DNA database aged under 16 as at 25 October 2007, whose records were added by forces in the East of England including Suffolk, is as follows:
	
		
			   Number 
			 Bedfordshire 1,144 
			 Cambridgeshire 1,666 
			 Essex 4,565 
			 Hertfordshire 2,267 
			 Norfolk 1,636 
			 Suffolk 1,593 
			 Total 12,873 
		
	
	Information on the NDNAD is recorded on the basis of the police force which took the DNA sample. The address of the person sampled is not recorded. Thus the figure for Suffolk (for example) includes people from outside Suffolk whose DNA was sampled by Suffolk police, and excludes people from Suffolk whose DNA was sampled by forces elsewhere.
	The individuals shown are those who were under 16 on 25 October 2007. Individuals who were under 16 at the time a DNA sample was taken from them, but were over 16 on this date, are not included in the figures.
	A certain number of profiles held on the NDNAD are replicates, i.e. a profile for a person has been loaded on more than one occasion (one reason for this is that the person gave different names, or different versions of their name, on separate arrests). At present, the replication rate is 13.7 per cent. i.e. the number of people whose details are loaded is 13.7 per cent. less than the number of profiles. The number of individuals shown is calculated on this basis.
	The national DNA database records the DNA profile for a particular individual. It does not hold data on whether people have been charged with an offence. This information is held on the police national computer. Obtaining information on the number of under-16s whose DNA was sampled by Suffolk police, who have been charged with a criminal offence, would require cross searching of records held on the PNC against the NDNAD, which could be done only at disproportionate cost.

Human Trafficking

Nick Palmer: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when the Government will ratify the Council of Europe Convention on Action Against Trafficking in Human Beings.

Vernon Coaker: The Government are committed to ratifying the Council of Europe Convention on Action Against Trafficking in Human Beings as soon as possible as part of our ongoing anti-trafficking strategy, set out in the comprehensive UK Action Plan on tackling human trafficking. We will not ratify the Convention until it is certain that we have implemented it in full because our legal system, unlike in some other signatory countries, requires full compliance with a Convention before ratification.

Identity Cards

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  for what reasons her Department revised its estimate of the portion of the total cost of the identity card and biometric passport scheme that would be incurred in order to introduce the second biometric passport in June 2007;
	(2)  what assumptions formed the basis of her Department's estimate in June 2007 that biometric passports accounted for 70 per cent. of the total cost of the biometric passport and ID card scheme;
	(3)  what assumptions underlay her Department's estimate of the apportionment of costs between passports and identity cards in the Identity Cards Scheme Cost Report published in November 2007.

Meg Hillier: the latest six monthly Identity Cards Scheme Cost Report, published on 8 November 2007, sets out those elements of the cost estimates that relate specifically to passports, those specific to identity cards and those that are common to both. The cost of registering individuals for passports and ID cards is included in common costs because the same technology infrastructure and business processes will be used. In many cases, the same application will result in the issue of both a passport and an ID card.
	The latest cost report may be found at:
	http://www/ips.gov.uk/identity/publications-legislative.asp
	I would refer the hon. Member to that report.
	A similar analysis of cost assumptions was undertaken previously in June 2007 to derive the proportion of costs that would be required under the scheme for biometric passport purposes. The June 2007 cost estimates, and the November 2007 cost report figures, are not comparable as they cover different time periods, as required under the ID Cards Act.
	The details assumptions that underpin the Business Case and Cost Report of the National Identity Scheme are commercially sensitive. Release of this detailed information could jeopardise the recently commenced procurement dialogue with potential suppliers of services under the scheme.

Illegal Immigrants: Employment

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  how many employers were fined in  (a) 2005,  (b) 2006 and  (c) 2007 for knowingly employing an illegal immigrant;
	(2)  how many cases there were where an employer has been found to knowingly employ an illegal immigrant but was not fined in  (a) 2005,  (b) 2006 and  (c) 2007.

Liam Byrne: Statistics showing the number of defendants proceeded against and found guilty under section 8 of the Asylum and Immigration Act 1996, in 2005 and 2006, in England and Wales, are shown in the following table. All defendants found guilty of this offence were given a fine, with the exception of one defendant in 2005 who was given a conditional discharge.
	Information on persons proceeded against for offences under Immigration Acts 1971 to 2004 during 2007 will be available in the autumn of 2008.
	Information on whether or not the defendants were aware of the immigration status of their employees is not available and would be available only by the examination of individual case files at disproportionate cost, because this has not been a specific offence.
	Difficulties in securing prosecutions under the 1996 legislation led us to bring forward the Immigration, Asylum and Nationality Act 2006 to tackle illegal migrant working, which will provide the Border and Immigration Agency with a wider and more effective range of tools with which to tackle non-compliance. The 2006 Act introduces a system of civil penalties for employers who employ illegal migrants through less than diligent practices, alongside a tough new offence for those who knowingly employ illegal migrants, which will carry a maximum two year prison sentence and/or an unlimited fine. These new measures will come into force on 29 February 2008.
	Published statistics on immigration and asylum are available from the Library of the House and from the Home Office's Research, Development and Statistics website at:
	http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/immigration1 .html.
	
		
			  Number of defendants proceeded against at magistrates courts and found guilty at all courts under Section 8 of the Asylum and Immigration Act 1996 (Employing a person aged 16 and above subject to immigration control), 2005 to 2006( 1, 2: ) England and Wales 
			   Number of persons 
			   2005  2006( 3) 
			 Proceeded against 23 11 
			 Found guilty 13 7 
			 (1) Principal immigration offence. (2 )Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts and police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used. (3 )Figures are provisional.

Illegal Workers

Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether  (a) Government Departments and  (b) executive agencies will be liable to pay the proposed 10,000 civil penalty for employing illegal workers.

Liam Byrne: People employed to work on Government departmental and executive agency premises whether employed directly by the Government Department, the executive agency or provided by an independent employer are required to satisfy requirements on identity, nationality and immigration status.
	Independent employers, such as contractors, with staff working in Government Department and executive agency buildings will not enjoy this immunity.
	The Border and Immigration Agency has the prime responsibility for identifying employees working illegally and taking action in such circumstances. This could include the removal of the employee from the United Kingdom and, subject to Crown immunity, the conviction of the employer under current legislation and the liability to a civil penalty and conviction under the proposed legislation which is due to be implemented on 29 February 2008.

Immigration Controls

Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many staff in her Department will be assigned to process  (a) requests for a licence to sponsor foreign migrants and  (b) migrant sponsor certificates.

Liam Byrne: Further planning and analysis in advance of the implementation of the points based system will refine and finalise staff numbers.

Immigration Controls

Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  what estimate she has made of the likely cost to local authorities of  (a) becoming licensed to sponsor migrants and  (b) issuing certificates of sponsorship to migrants;
	(2)  what estimates she has made of the likely cost to the national health service of it  (a) becoming licensed to sponsor migrants and  (b) issuing certificates of sponsorship to migrants.

Liam Byrne: The proposed fee levels for sponsorship registration and for issuing a certificate of sponsorship to migrants will be set out in regulations before Parliament in the new year, including appropriate impact assessments to support our proposals.

Immigration Controls

Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many staff in  (a) her Department and  (b) its agencies will be responsible for checking that licensed immigration sponsors are compliant with procedures when her Department begins to license organisations for the sponsorship of migrant workers.

Liam Byrne: Further planning and analysis in advance of the implementation of the Points Based System will refine and finalise staff numbers.

Immigration: Children

Diane Abbott: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps her Department is taking to help children in immigration removal centres who are suffering from  (a) post-traumatic stress disorder,  (b) self-harming,  (c) suicide attempts,  (d) depression and  (e) psychological trauma as a result of torture; and if she will make a statement.

Liam Byrne: All those held in immigration removal centres must have available to them the same range and quality of service as the general public receives from the national health service. Where necessary, removal centre healthcare teams will refer detainees to specialists, including counsellors.
	Detainees are medically screened within two hours of their arrival at a removal centre and this includes an assessment for risk of self-harm or suicidal behaviour. Where there is concern that a person presents such a risk, measures are triggered to ensure that the person concerned receives appropriate care. Part of that care will involve the need to monitor and engage with the person concerned. This applies to both adults and children.

Immigration: Children

Diane Abbott: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what consultations her Department  (a) has had and  (b) is planning to have with charities and other NGOs working with children in immigration removal centres; and if she will make a statement.

Liam Byrne: The Border and Immigration Agency consults with various stakeholders. With regard to immigration detention, matters are able to be raised in the Detention User Group, which meets quarterly. A variety of NGOs are represented at these meetings; members of the group are also able to raise any issue outside of the meetings and have direct access to officials should they have a particular concern.
	Moreover, the Border and Immigration Agency's Office of the Children's Champion (OCC) has established strong links with the Children's Commissioner for England, Sir Al Aynsley-Green. In agreement with the Children's Commissioners for Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales, Sir Al Aynsley Green also represents them in immigration matters.
	The OCC has also attended events regarding the detention of children at which child welfare agencies from the voluntary and statutory sector were represented. It has also hosted a conference for health professionals to discuss services for children at Yarl's Wood Removal Centre, the main centre for holding families with children. Attendees included medical researchers and national campaigners for immigrant children.

Immigration: Detention Centres

Diane Abbott: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if her Department will introduce limits on the amount of time children may be held in immigration removal centres.

Liam Byrne: Although Immigration Act powers of detention are not time limited, domestic and ECHR caselaw provides that detention must last for no longer than is reasonably necessary for the purpose for which it is authorised and must not be of excessive duration.
	The detention of families with children is kept to the minimum period necessary and is subject to frequent and rigorous review, including ministerial authorisation in those cases where detention reaches 28 days. Where family detention is prolonged it is often because parents seek to frustrate the removal process. To introduce a time limit on detention would reward such behaviour and that would be unacceptable.

Immigration: Hillingdon

John Randall: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what estimate she has made of the costs incurred by  (a) Hillingdon police and  (b) the London borough of Hillingdon as a result of (i) immigration, (ii) illegal immigration and (iii) the presence of asylum seekers who have exhausted all appeals in the latest period for which figures are available.

Tony McNulty: Costs to the police are not separately identified. Decisions on the distribution of resources are a matter for the Commissioner and the Metropolitan police authority.
	Costs to the London borough of Hillingdon are also not separately identified.

Immigration: Hillingdon

John Randall: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many asylum seekers who had exhausted all appeals were resident in the London Borough of Hillingdon in each year since 1997, broken down by country of origin.

Liam Byrne: The closest available information is the number of asylum seekers in receipt of support from BIA, broken down by Government office region and local authority. The figures do, however, cover all those on support, which is principally those whose asylum application has not yet had an initial decision or who have an outstanding right of appeal.
	These and other statistics relating to asylum are published on a quarterly and annual basis and the latest publication, covering the third quarter of 2007, is available on the Home Office Research, Development and Statistics website at:
	http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/immigration1.html
	Further breakdowns of those in receipt of support from BIA, by parliamentary constituency, are also available from the Library of the House.

Immigration: Kent

Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what estimate she has made of the costs incurred by Kent police as a result of immigration in  (a) 2005 and  (b) 2006.

Tony McNulty: Kent police authority and force do not separately identify costs incurred as a result of immigration. Decisions on the distribution of resources are matters for the chief officer and the police authority.

Immigration: Northern Ireland

Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what responsibility her Department has to monitor the number of foreign nationals residing in Northern Ireland; and what measures her Department takes to combat illegal immigration in Northern Ireland.

Liam Byrne: The Border and Immigration Agency has responsibility for immigration control matters throughout the UK, including Northern Ireland, and has a team of enforcement officers based in the Province who work closely with the Police Service of Northern Ireland.
	The Agency does not disaggregate statistics for areas within the UK.
	Records on migrants who are legally authorised to live and work in the UK are held but such migrants may move freely within the UK subject to their immigration conditions.
	The Agency maintains records on asylum applications, including failed asylum seekers in the UK. The availability of the information on these cases is currently linked to the support that they receive.
	The Agency, the PSNI and the Garda National Immigration Bureau work collaboratively and run regular intelligence-led operations to counter risks to the common travel area borders. These operations have successfully prevented foreign nationals attempting to enter Northern Ireland and the Republic illegally in both directions.
	The Agency operates immigration controls at the international ports in Northern Ireland, refusing entry where appropriate, thereby preventing illegal migrants from entering by those routes.
	In addition, the Agency works closely with the police service in Scotland in dealing with those who are in the UK illegally and who are identified when seeking to move between the Province and Great Britain.
	In the last six months, account managers have been recruited in Northern Ireland to advise employers about their responsibilities when employing overseas nationals and the penalties and sanctions that will apply where they knowingly employ people who are here illegally.
	Compliance officers will audit employers in the Province to ensure that the law is being complied with and will initiate enforcement action in appropriate cases.

Immigration: Security Services

Frank Dobson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether any companies providing security services to Government departments have been prosecuted for employing people not entitled to be employed in this country.

Jacqui Smith: To date there have been no prosecutions under section eight of the Asylum and Immigration Act 1996 of companies for providing illegal migrant workers to work as security guards in Government Departments.
	Illegal working is an issue which we take seriously which is why we introduced new measures in the Immigration, Asylum and Nationality (IAN) Act 2006 to ensure employers meet their obligations. This will give us greater enforcement powers, which we will not hesitate to use.
	As I told Parliament last week, the Border and Immigration Agency (BIA) has prioritised enforcement action with respect to the security industry. Cases are being analysed for evidence of employers who appear to have a track record of employing people who do not have a right to work. The BIA tells me that a third of its illegal working operation is deployed on that employment sector.
	As a result of this action, problems were identified with one of the sub-contractors providing services to the Home Office. This led on Friday 14 December to the identification and arrest of one member of the sub-contractor's security staff who did not have the right to work and is now subject to deportation action. The Home Office is now working with the sub-contractor to recheck individually the right to work of all their security staff supplied to the Home Office.
	Furthermore, the permanent secretary has taken immediate steps to tighten the procedures for checking the identity and immigration status of those working in the Home Office, whether as a civil servant, employed by a contractor, or in any other capacity.

International Conference on Illicit Nuclear Trafficking

Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what contribution Ministers or officials from her Department made to the International Conference on Illicit Nuclear Trafficking: Collective Experience and the Way Forward, held in Edinburgh between 19 and 22 November.

Tony McNulty: The conference was addressed by William Nye, Director for Law, Security and International in the Office for Security and Counter-terrorism, who provided a keynote speech on 19 November titled The UK approach to combating nuclear terrorism.

Muhammad Qazilbash Mumtaz

Clare Short: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when she expects the Border and Immigration Agency to reply to the letter of 23 October from the right hon. Member for Birmingham, Ladywood on Muhammad Qazilbash Mumtaz (acknowledgement reference B31608/7).

Liam Byrne: The Border and Immigration Agency wrote to my right hon. Friend on 4 December 2007.

Neneh Famata Jalloh

Clare Short: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when she expects the Border and Immigration Agency to reply to the letter of 29 October from the right hon. Member for Birmingham, Ladywood sent on behalf of Neneh Famata Jalloh (Home Office reference J112636, acknowledgement reference B30489/7).

Liam Byrne: I wrote to my right hon. Friend on 4 December 2007.

Offenders

Edward Garnier: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many persons working for her Department have unspent criminal convictions.

Liam Byrne: Information obtained on recruitment or reported by employees is retained on personnel files or by HR management units as appropriate and is not collated. It could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Overseas Students: Vetting

David Willetts: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when the new immigration rules which will mean that students studying proliferation sensitive courses require ATAS clearance to enter the country are planned to come into force.

Liam Byrne: The relevant changes to the immigration rules took effect on 30 November 2007.

Departmental Recycling

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much  (a) the UK Passport Service,  (b) the Identity and Passport Service,  (c) Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary,  (d) the immigration and nationality directive and  (e) the National Policing Improvement Agency recycled in terms of (i) volume of total waste and (ii) percentage of total waste in each of the last five years.

Liam Byrne: The recycling data for the agencies and non-departmental public bodies requested is unavailable because comprehensive waste data collection and reporting systems are not currently in place in all of these organisations. The following table provides departmental data from 2002-03 until 2005-06, the latest year for which figures have been published. The figures include data from some office properties on the Borders and Immigration Agency and Identity and Passport Service estates. It also includes figures from the public sector prison estate which was part of the Home Office estate until May this year. The table shows an increase in the amount of waste arisings year on year, which reflects an increase in the total number of properties reported on.
	
		
			   Total waste arisings (metric tonnes)  Percentage of total waste recycled 
			 2002-03 985 25 
			 2003-04 4,521 31 
			 2004-05 10,879 35.4 
			 2005-06 17,679 35.5 
			 2006-07 (1) (1) 
			 (1) Not yet published 
		
	
	The Home Office continues to explore opportunities to increase further the amount of waste recycled and to identify opportunities for waste minimisation. These initiatives will be supported by more reliable data systems that will be realised through our new shared service operations, as well as by procurement initiatives.

Departmental Recycling

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the policy is of  (a) the Identity and Passport Service,  (b) Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary,  (c) the Immigration and Nationality Directorate and  (d) the National Policing Improvement Agency on recycling.

Liam Byrne: None of the organisations cited has its own dedicated recycling policy. Rather they operate under the departmental waste policies which stem from our commitment to the Sustainable Operations on the Government Estate, published in June 2006 which require central Government Departments and their agencies to increase the amount of waste recycled to 40 per cent. of their waste arisings by 2010 and increase their recycling figures to 75 per cent. of their waste arisings by 2020.

Police

Boris Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many full-time equivalent police officers there were per recorded incident of  (a) rape,  (b) homicide and  (c) violence against the person in each London borough in each year since 1997.

Tony McNulty: Figures are available centrally from 2002-03, and appear in the following tables. The police officer totals used in the ratios relate to all officers in post in each borough, and not just to those involved with investigating rapes, homicides and violence against the person which may involve officers from other boroughs and central services.
	
		
			  Number of full-time equivalent (FTE) police officers per recorded offences of rape, homicide and violence against the person, by London  b orough 2003-07 
			  Table A: Total number of police officers (FTE) in post( 1)  per 100 recorded rape offences in each London borough 
			   2002-03( 2)  2003-04  2004-05  2005-06  2006-07 
			 Barking and Dagenham 515 685 566 645 628 
			 Barnet 870 644 668 792 823 
			 Bexley 732 1,089 797 1,003 1,059 
			 Brent 712 530 686 687 722 
			 Bromley 595 976 858 897 1,072 
			 Camden 1,013 1,527 1,251 1,274 1,160 
			 City of Westminster 1,195 1,375 1,431 1,541 1,192 
			 Croydon 630 915 769 614 705 
			 Ealing 610 726 891 667 1,216 
			 Enfield 538 648 777 777 881 
			 Greenwich 507 503 611 513 591 
			 Hackney 666 649 597 564 682 
			 Hammersmith and Fulham 693 538 835 988 907 
			 Haringey 560 750 690 651 906 
			 Harrow 1,041 739 684 937 786 
			 Havering 1,063 672 1,278 776 1,008 
			 Hillingdon 804 834 957 1,125 1,415 
			 Hounslow 668 726 680 705 665 
			 Islington 461 701 735 901 762 
			 Kensington and Chelsea 1,229 1,368 1,560 1,367 1,160 
			 Kingston upon Thames 543 611 806 730 1,050 
			 Lambeth 583 747 674 715 751 
			 Lewisham 381 474 673 764 584 
			 Merton 690 869 782 906 898 
			 Newham 455 550 518 697 790 
			 Redbridge 570 815 637 1,024 898 
			 Richmond upon Thames 1,290 2,039 1,304 1,470 1,263 
			 Southwark 595 533 707 693 717 
			 Sutton 887 1,038 939 788 927 
			 Tower Hamlets 653 792 895 912 734 
			 Waltham Forest 558 613 992 661 734 
			 Wandsworth 511 638 910 995 739 
		
	
	
		
			  Table B: Total number of police officers (FTE) in post( 1)  per 100 recorded homicide offences in each London borough 
			   2002-03( 2)  2003-04  2004-05  2005-06  2006-07 
			 Barking and Dagenham 12,007 9,594 5,239 10,641 4,745 
			 Barnet 10,445 (3) 11,220 13,862 11,022 
			 Bexley (3) (3) (3) 12,041 (3) 
			 Brent 10,322 6,833 3,774 6,666 16,795 
			 Bromley 10,421 (3) 16,306 (3) 12,326 
			 Camden 4,494 (3) 10,630 3,880 11,605 
			 City of Westminster 17,394 27,277 32,342 19,652 39,031 
			 Croydon 10,395 5,491 6,920 6,942 22,805 
			 Ealing 7,248 11,617 8,577 8,418 7,569 
			 Enfield 8,159 8,959 4,789 9,327 (3) 
			 Greenwich 15,096 4,858 7,565 12,307 21,062 
			 Hackney 11,217 3,830 8,761 10,953 6,763 
			 Hammersmith and Fulham 8,542 12,911 13,152 (3) 14,058 
			 Haringey 3,725 5,687 6,832 14,331 13,772 
			 Harrow (3) 11,088 (3) (3) (3) 
			 Havering (3) 5,715 (3) (3) 7,657 
			 Hillingdon 9,166 8,065 (3) 16,871 7,075 
			 Hounslow (3) 6,742 8,494 10,011 12,968 
			 Islington 20,758 13,602 9,762 (3) 11,297 
			 Kensington and Chelsea 17,610 (3) 6,240 14,352 (3) 
			 Kingston upon Thames (3) (3) (3) (3) (3) 
			 Lambeth 6,450 7,840 9,845 14,196 6,356 
			 Lewisham 11,421 6,949 12,919 7,213 15,465 
			 Merton 10,125 (3) (3) 11,777 7,543 
			 Newham 4,945 5,210 7,819 6,005 5,416 
			 Redbridge 7,864 5,499 11,467 7,853 (3) 
			 Richmond upon Thames (3) 9,515 9,560 (3) (3) 
			 Southwark 7,622 6,686 9,905 12,475 8,461 
			 Sutton 8,872 (3) (3) (3) (3) 
			 Tower Hamlets 6,238 6,910 9,513 (3) 25,212 
			 Waltham Forest 6,941 5,928 10,917 7,938 13,582 
			 Wandsworth 9,281 (3) 14,556 12,136 6,653 
		
	
	
		
			  Table C: Total number of police officers (FTE) in post( 1)  per 100 recorded violence against the person offences in each London borough 
			   2002-03( 2)  2003-04  2004-05  2005-06  2006-07 
			 Barking and Dagenham 8.2 7.8 8.0 8.0 8.3 
			 Barnet 10.0 9.3 7.8 8.7 10.0 
			 Bexley 8.9 8.3 9.3 8.3 9.9 
			 Brent 9.8 9.3 7.4 8.1 10.8 
			 Bromley 8.8 9.2 8.5 8.8 8.7 
			 Camden 12.4 12.4 11.1 11.6 12.3 
			 City of Westminster 15.8 17.1 15.5 16.6 18.6 
			 Croydon 8.2 8.3 8.0 8.9 10.1 
			 Ealing 9.1 9.7 8.6 8.5 8.9 
			 Enfield 8.8 10.5 11.1 10.6 10.9 
			 Greenwich 8.8 8.5 7.7 8.0 8.4 
			 Hackney 9.9 10.7 10.8 10.3 10.4 
			 Hammersmith and Fulham 11.9 12.0 11.4 11.0 11.1 
			 Haringey 11.6 12.4 10.8 10.4 12.2 
			 Harrow 10.7 11.6 11.3 11.4 12.3 
			 Havering 8.7 8.7 9.1 9.1 10.5 
			 Hillingdon 9.2 9.3 8.4 8.1 8.4 
			 Hounslow 6.6 6.8 7.5 7.8 9.4 
			 Islington 9.8 10.3 9.0 9.8 10.8 
			 Kensington and Chelsea 15.2 17.0 17.2 17.3 15.8 
			 Kingston upon Thames 9.5 8.0 8.5 9.5 9.8 
			 Lambeth 10.6 9.9 10.0 11.1 11.4 
			 Lewisham 10.0 9.4 8.2 7.7 7.7 
			 Merton 8.8 9.4 9.3 9.6 11.2 
			 Newham 8.6 9.5 9.8 9.3 10.0 
			 Redbridge 8.6 9.4 9.8 11.9 10.8 
			 Richmond upon Thames 11.1 11.4 11.2 12.5 14.3 
			 Southwark 10.2 9.8 9.5 9.6 10.0 
			 Sutton 8.7 8.7 8.2 9.7 10.2 
			 Tower Hamlets 9.1 9.8 9.6 10.4 9.8 
			 Waltham Forest 9.0 8.9 8.7 8.1 9.0 
			 Wandsworth 10.4 11.5 9.9 9.9 10.6 
			 (1) All figures for police officer numbers are full-time equivalents (FTE). The figures used in these ratios relate to total officers in post, regardless of function, and include staff on career breaks and maternity/paternity leave. (2) The National Crime Recording Standard was introduced in April 2002. Figures that use recorded crime data before and after that date are not directly comparable, although homicide to have been relatively unaffected. (3) In accordance with guidance from the Office for National Statistics, homicide values less than 3 have been suppressed in order to protect confidentiality. Where there were no homicides in the period, a ratio cannot be calculated.

Police

Michael Meacher: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether she plans to introduce secondary legislation to authorise the police and security services to access the travel details of individuals by road, train and air.

Tony McNulty: holding answer 10 December 2007
	Provisions in the Immigration, Asylum and Nationality Act 2006 (IAN Act 2006) and Police and Justice Act 2006 introduced new police powers to capture passenger, crew and service information on international and domestic air and sea journeys. The IAN Act 2006 also introduced a power to allow the police, Border and Immigration Agency and Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs to disclose passenger, crew, service and other travel related data, held by them, to the security and intelligence agencies, where those data are likely to be of use for their statutory purposes. The intention is that these powers will be brought into force by order in 2008. An order made under the Channel Tunnel Act 1987 will also be made to extend the police data acquisition and sharing powers to cover international train journeys. There is no secondary legislation planned that relates to the capture of data about individuals travelling by road.

Police

David Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  how many police officers there were per head of population in  (a) each police force and  (b) total in each year since 1997;
	(2)  how many members of the special constabulary there were in each police force area, in each year since 1997;
	(3)  how many civilian staff were employed by each police force in each year since 1997; and how many of those civilians were employed to perform tasks previously performed by uniformed officers.

Tony McNulty: The information requested is published annually in the Home Office Statistical Bulletin series 'Police Service Strength, England and Wales.' The bulletins are available in the Library of the House, and can be downloaded from the publications link within the Research Development and Statistics directorate website located at:
	http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/index.html
	Information for the number of civilian staff employed to perform tasks previously performed by uniformed officers is not collected centrally.

Police

David Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the police authority precept was for each authority in England and Wales in each financial year since 1997.

Tony McNulty: The information requested is provided in the following table.
	
		
			  Precept (Band D) increases by force 1997-98 to 2007-08 
			   
			  Force  1997-98  1998-99  1999-2000  2000-01  2001-02  2002-03  2003-04  2004-05  2005-06  2006-07  2007-08 
			 Avon and Somerset 52.04 54.86 60.62 67.59 72.66 83.40 111.64 125.09 131.34 137.84 147.17 
			 Bedfordshire 52.51 55.84 61.36 66.98 70.26 78.69 93.44 107.17 111.98 117.55 123.43 
			 Cambridgeshire 51.03 48.24 52.11 62.46 68.04 94.59 113.31 129.33 135.54 142.29 149.40 
			 Cheshire 51.16 53.86 56.28 61.06 64.66 73.54 88.10 97.71 102.60 108.49 116.03 
			 Cleveland 54.87 48.43 62.55 65.58 69.51 96.13 120.22 136.84 143.68 150.72 158.10 
			 Cumbria 58.20 72.35 78.27 84.23 90.60 100.48 130.71 150.28 155.43 163.08 171.09 
			 Derbyshire 51.31 57.30 65.85 71.12 75.38 91.96 111.77 122.88 129.02 135.15 141.91 
			 Devon and Cornwall 49.79 48.30 53.52 58.87 61.81 73.80 103.27 113.39 119.62 125.53 131.73 
			 Dorset 63.59 70.61 77.13 84.42 92.25 103.50 123.39 135.36 142.11 149.13 156.51 
			 Durham 52.20 48.60 50.40 52.65 56.43 64.44 79.56 91.53 96.03 100.80 135.72 
			 Essex 54.09 62.28 65.07 67.95 71.01 77.67 92.97 99.27 104.76 110.97 116.46 
			 Gloucestershire 51.17 57.74 68.90 77.98 82.05 94.01 142.59 156.71 162.90 170.96 179.49 
			 Hampshire 51.75 50.13 53.91 55.08 59.04 75.15 97.29 108.36 113.76 119.43 125.37 
			 Hertfordshire 51.51 58.83 63.54 67.99 72.39 81.01 98.28 112.53 118.09 123.98 130.17 
			 Humberside 52.47 52.47 54.81 60.30 85.77 95.40 113.04 129.96 135.72 142.47 149.58 
			 Kent 51.59 48.41 52.48 55.73 60.26 73.64 94.95 105.66 110.88 116.37 122.18 
			 Lancashire 53.25 53.41 57.69 62.60 67.89 73.86 87.57 100.70 107.72 113.09 125.95 
			 Leicestershire 52.26 61.21 63.79 67.80 75.52 95.21 104.77 120.11 126.04 132.33 138.96 
			 Lincolnshire 69.03 78.93 81.99 86.49 90.36 94.86 104.40 112.23 119.43 125.37 131.58 
			 Norfolk 50.58 53.64 64.35 72.09 83.61 100.35 121.95 138.69 145.53 154.17 164.88 
			 Northamptonshire 70.56 69.29 76.08 79.65 83.00 105.25 130.09 149.43 154.41 162.11 170.21 
			 North Yorkshire 49.72 48.46 52.20 57.04 62.59 88.59 156.00 171.50 176.00 180.00 185.40 
			 Nottinghamshire 49.78 54.32 61.55 65.17 70.17 85.17 109.30 120.12 126.01 132.24 138.78 
			 Staffordshire 54.74 72.42 78.86 83.43 94.37 100.93 126.50 138.44 145.28 152.53 160.15 
			 Suffolk 51.39 52.38 56.16 61.11 67.14 82.08 109.35 119.70 125.01 130.86 137.34 
			 Surrey 44.64 66.06 75.24 79.41 83.08 96.44 135.09 147.06 154.26 163.26 171.27 
			 Sussex 51.66 50.94 53.19 55.53 59.13 69.84 97.74 105.12 110.25 115.74 122.67 
			 Thames Valley 52.79 50.76 56.53 60.34 64.49 73.49 106.24 120.51 126.28 132.58 139.19 
			 Warwickshire 52.24 62.09 71.18 77.57 85.17 101.78 117.30 126.55 132.52 138.95 145.90 
			 West Mercia 50.87 53.64 59.00 74.06 78.50 104.50 119.80 137.69 143.17 150.24 157.66 
			 Wiltshire 55.22 62.77 6898 75.84 83.26 91.54 109.68 120.63 126.63 132.84 139.35 
			  Total Shires 52.79 56.00 61.24 66.41 71.85 84.78 108.71 121.12 126.97 133.31 140.94 
			 
			 Greater Manchester 54.10 56.28 60.22 62.72 64.66 68.86 91.65 98.52 105.41 110.67 116.19 
			 Merseyside 66.87 71.78 77.44 81.31 85.37 94.76 101.54 110.17 115.68 121.46 127.53 
			 Northumbria 52.73 47.67 49.82 52.06 55.65 58.15 63.80 66.93 70.03 71.78 74.62 
			 South Yorkshire 53.29 54.28 56.72 59.26 62.79 74.09 94.30 102.79 107.88 113.27 118.92 
			 West Midlands 53.20 48.99 51.19 54.77 57.21 61.88 71.16 80.08 83.68 87.55 91.47 
			 West Yorkshire 53.17 52.41 54.76 58.73 60.82 75.92 88.81 102.06 107.05 112.40 118.02 
			  Total METS 55.05 54.52 57.59 60.76 63.50 71.06 84.50 92.98 97.94 102.56 107.48 
			 
			  Total England (exc. London) 53.34 55.65 60.37 65.09 69.90 81.57 103.07 114.60 120.25 126.20 133.22 
			 
			 Metropolitan 63.27 76.48 82.51 90.95 118.85 130.59 159.13 184.08 196.28 210.82 223.60 
			 
			  Total England (inc. London) 55.09 59.32 64.26 69.30 77.80 89.52 112.16 125.91 132.62 139.97 147.901 
			 
			 Dyfed-Powys 48.42 59.58 72.99 85.41 90.90 98.10 124.11 142.65 143.10 150.21 157.68 
			 Gwent 49.10 54.36 59.74 74.97 84.03 95.17 119.11 139.13 145.07 152.32 159.94 
			 North Wales 48.52 58.54 66.33 78.49 82.72 96.53 126.94 151.57 158.94 166.89 178.16 
			 South Wales 49.22 56.25 65.36 80.42 85.57 89.85 103.51 115.71 120.40 126.42 132.74 
			  Total Wales 48.89 57.03 65.91 79.84 85.54 93.87 115.60 133.34 138.22 145.07 153.03 
			 
			  Total England and Wales 54.74 59.19 64.36 69.89 78.24 89.77 112.36 126.33 132.95 140.28 148.21 
			  Sources: English Police Authorities  DCLG Welsh Police Authorities - WAG

Police

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what  (a) discussions she has had with and  (b) representations she has received from the Essex police authority on the report on sustainable policing produced by the Association of Chief Police Officers and the Association of Police Authorities since July 2007; and if she will make a statement.

Tony McNulty: None. The case made in sustainable policing was taken into account in developing the provisional police grant settlement tabled by my right hon. Friend the Home Secretary on 6 December.

Police

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what information is collected by the police on the number of road accidents  (a) caused by and  (b) involving non-UK citizens; and if she will make a statement.

Jim Fitzpatrick: I have been asked to reply.
	Information on the number of reported personal injury road accidents involving or caused by non-UK citizens is not collected centrally. However, the Department for Transport does collect information on whether vehicles involved in a personal injury road accident are foreign registered. This information is published in table 53 in 'Road casualties Great Britain: the annual report 2006'. Copies of the report have been deposited in the Libraries of the House. This table can also be found on the Department's website at the following address:
	http://www.dft.gov.uk/172974/173025/221412/221549/227755/285672/WebTables4153.xls

Police Authorities

David Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans she has to change the  (a) membership and  (b) responsibilities of police authorities.

Tony McNulty: My right hon. Friend the Home Secretary intends to introduce regulations in respect of the Police and Justice Act 2006 to give police authorities a greater role in the selection of their members, and reduce her own role. These regulations will also introduce measures to monitor appointments to ensure they are fair and transparent. The Mayor of London will also have an increased role under the regulations.
	We also intend to introduce regulations to make police authority planning processes more efficient and streamlined and to ensure that police authorities  (a) monitor the compliance of their forces with the Human Rights Act 1998 and with the authority's policing plan,  (b) put in place arrangements that secure collaboration between police forces where this would be in the interests of efficiency and effectiveness and  (c) promote diversity and equality within forces and authorities.

Police Cells

David Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what pilots have been undertaken on the use by police of short-term holding facilities as an alternative to detention in police cells; and if she will make a statement.

Tony McNulty: No pilots have been carried out. This is being considered as part of the consultation process on the Review of PACE.

Police National Computer

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much is being spent on ensuring that the Police National Computer is fully updated.

Tony McNulty: This information is not held centrally. However, the Police National Computer (PNC) system is continuously updated by the police.

Police National Computer

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when the Police National Computer will be fully updated with court records.

Tony McNulty: The Police National Computer (PNC) is continuously updated with court records information.

Police: Accidents

James Brokenshire: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people were  (a) killed and  (b) injured following police vehicle pursuits in each year since 1997, broken down by police force area.

Tony McNulty: The available data are for 2002-03 onwards and relate to road traffic collisions on public roads during immediate/emergency responses and police pursuit, and are given in the following tables.
	In responding effectively to emergency situations the police must have due regard to the safety of other road users. The IPCC Report on their two-year review of road traffic incidents involving police vehicles which resulted in a fatality or serious injury was recently published (Police Road Traffic Incidents: A Study of Cases Involving Serious and Fatal Injuries http://www.ipcc.gov.uk/rti_report_11_9_07.pdf).
	There are 29 recommendations for police forces in the report about how practice could and should be changed.
	
		
			  Number( 1)  and type( 2)  of injuries resulting from those road traffic accidents occurring during immediate/emergency response( 3)  and police pursuit( 4) , from 2002-03 to 2006-07 
			   2002-03  2003-04  2004-05 
			   Fatal injury  Serious injury  Other injury  Fatal injury  Serious injury  Other injury  Fatal injury  Serious injury  Other injury 
			 Avon and Somerset 2 7 53 2 6 74 0 9 52 
			 Bedfordshire 0 2 16 1 1 56 1 1 27 
			 Cambridgeshire 0 6 6 0 4 12 0 0 26 
			 Cheshire 0 2 27 0 1 17 0 7 29 
			 Cleveland 0 0 18 1 0 3 0 0 0 
			 Cumbria 0 0 8 0 0 5 0 0 6 
			 Derbyshire 0 0 38 0 1 25 1 0 35 
			 Devon and Cornwall 0 1 26 1 1 64 0 0 18 
			 Dorset 0 1 10 1 2 9 (5) (5) (5) 
			 Durham (5) (5) (5) 2 1 36 0 1 26 
			 Dyfed-Powys 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Essex 0 2 32 2 3 36 1 3 35 
			 Gloucestershire 0 0 24 0 0 4 0 0 12 
			 Greater Manchester 4 5 74 6 9 56 4 2 106 
			 Gwent 0 0 12 0 0 24 0 0 5 
			 Hampshire 1 7 29 0 3 7 0 0 7 
			 Hertfordshire 0 6 59 0 2 16 0 5 61 
			 Humberside 0 3 19 0 1 25 0 0 18 
			 Kent 0 2 48 0 7 73 0 2 23 
			 Lancashire 0 1 31 0 2 30 1 0 19 
			 Leicestershire 1 2 15 0 2 16 (5) (5) (5) 
			 Lincolnshire 0 2 10 0 5 18 2 2 12 
			 London, City of 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 1 
			 Merseyside 3 3 62 3 6 75 0 3 58 
			 Metropolitan police 5 14 (5) 4 21 600 4 23 724 
			 Norfolk 1 1 17 1 1 28 0 6 26 
			 Northamptonshire 0 1 14 1 6 19 0 4 22 
			 Northumbria 0 3 62 0 3 70 3 13 94 
			 North Wales 0 0 18 0 1 5 0 0 3 
			 North Yorkshire (5) (5) (5) 0 0 0 0 2 7 
			 Nottinghamshire 2 5 8 1 8 57 1 0 4 
			 South Wales 0 0 20 0 0 9 0 0 0 
			 South Yorkshire 0 3 24 0 12 67 2 10 83 
			 Staffordshire 0 0 26 0 1 29 0 0 1 
			 Suffolk 0 1 6 0 3 11 0 2 8 
			 Surrey 0 2 38 1 2 33 0 1 31 
			 Sussex 0 7 45 0 6 27 2 0 31 
			 Thames Valley 3 13 115 2 11 122 0 6 71 
			 Warwickshire 0 0 5 0 1 10 2 0 8 
			 West Mercia 0 4 30 0 2 22 0 4 32 
			 West Midlands (5) (5) (5) 2 2 44 0 0 44 
			 West Yorkshire 0 0 15 0 0 7 0 2 5 
			 Wiltshire 0 0 8 0 0 4 0 0 11 
		
	
	
		
			   2005-06  2006-07 
			   Fatal injury  Serious injury  Other injury  Fatal injury  Serious injury  Other injury 
			 Avon and Somerset 2 3 68 0 8 42 
			 Bedfordshire 0 0 17 1 2 11 
			 Cambridgeshire 0 0 10 0 0 0 
			 Cheshire 0 5 30 0 2 18 
			 Cleveland 0 0 0 0 1 8 
			 Cumbria 2 0 3 0 0 3 
			 Derbyshire 0 0 6 0 0 16 
			 Devon and Cornwall 0 0 15 0 1 20 
			 Dorset 1 1 17 0 1 7 
			 Durham 0 2 13 0 1 21 
			 Dyfed-Powys 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Essex 1 4 17 0 0 22 
			 Gloucestershire 0 0 6 (5) (5) (5) 
			 Greater Manchester 1 3 91 6 6 64 
			 Gwent 0 1 13 0 0 7 
			 Hampshire 1 7 10 1 5 4 
			 Hertfordshire 2 3 45 0 11 48 
			 Humberside 0 0 12 1 0 19 
			 Kent 1 1 18 0 0 12 
			 Lancashire 0 0 28 0 2 32 
			 Leicestershire 0 1 10 0 1 15 
			 Lincolnshire 0 1 13 0 0 6 
			 London, City of 0 1 6 0 0 0 
			 Merseyside 3 3 136 1 4 88 
			 Metropolitan police 4 33 584 4 26 496 
			 Norfolk 0 0 10 0 0 10 
			 Northamptonshire 0 1 18 1 7 13 
			 Northumbria 1 5 84 1 5 64 
			 North Wales 0 0 1 0 0 24 
			 North Yorkshire 0 2 10 0 11 16 
			 Nottinghamshire (5) (5) (5) (5) (5) (5) 
			 South Wales 0 0 3 0 0 1 
			 South Yorkshire 0 2 11 0 33 35 
			 Staffordshire 1 0 5 0 0 17 
			 Suffolk 1 1 4 0 0 16 
			 Surrey 0 1 31 0 2 24 
			 Sussex 5 0 23 0 0 43 
			 Thames Valley 0 2 127 3 6 56 
			 Warwickshire 0 0 8 0 0 8 
			 West Mercia 0 2 26 0 1 23 
			 West Midlands 0 0 31 0 0 12 
			 West Yorkshire 0 0 24 0 0 52 
			 Wiltshire 0 0 4 0 0 4 
			 (1) Headcount figures. Includes both police personnel and members of the public.  (2) Fatal and serious injuries are as defined in the Department of Transport Stats 20 instructions for the completion of road accident reports.  (3) An immediate/emergency response is when a police vehicle is en route to a reported incident.  (4) A police pursuit is where a police vehicle driver is pursuing a fleeing vehicle with the intention of causing it to stop.  (5) Data are not available. 
		
	
	continued

Police: False Alarms

Jessica Morden: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what estimate her Department has made of the average cost per incident incurred by the police in attending false call-outs triggered by security alarms.

Tony McNulty: No estimates have been made. The information for all police forces in England and Wales is not held centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Police: Finance

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the cost was in each of the last 10 years to police in each police force area on  (a) detecting illegal immigrants,  (b) removing or deporting people from the UK,  (c) translation and interpretation for immigration-related work and  (d) other immigration-related work.

Tony McNulty: The information for all police forces in England and Wales is not held centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
	Decisions on the distribution of resources are matters for the chief officer and the police authority.

Police: Finance

David Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the  (a) overspend and  (b) underspend was for each police authority in England and Wales in each year since 1996-97.

Tony McNulty: Police authorities are legally required to set balanced budgets taking into account any use of reserves. Decisions on the distribution of resources are matters for the chief officer and the police authority.

Police: Hampshire

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many  (a) police constables,  (b) police community support officers and  (c) special constables were allocated to each local policing area in Hampshire in each year since 2005.

Tony McNulty: Figures collected centrally relate to police officers (rather than police constables), police community support officers and special constables, and are shown in the following tables:
	
		
			  Number of police officers, police community support officers and special constables in post in Hampshire Basic Command Units (BCUs), 2005-07 
			  Table A: Police Officers (Full-Time Equivalent) 
			   31 March 2005  31 March 2006  31 March 2007 
			 Basingstoke and Dean(1) 206 210 n/a 
			 Central Hampshire (before April 2006)(1) 216 211 n/a 
			 Central Hampshire (after April 2006)(1) n/a n/a 623 
			 Havant(1) 223 225 n/a 
			 Isle of Wight 194 203 209 
			 New Forest(1) 217 221 n/a 
			 North East Hampshire(1) 217 221 n/a 
			 North and East Hampshire (after April 2006)(1) n/a n/a 548 
			 Portsmouth 404 410 421 
			 Solent East(1) 275 278 n/a 
			 Southampton 483 476 513 
			 West Hants (before April 2006)(1) 271 269 n/a 
			 West Hants (after April 2006)(1) n/a n/a 500 
		
	
	
		
			  Table B: Police Community Support Officers (Full-Time Equivalent) 
			   30 June 2005( 2)  30 June 2006( 2)  31 March 2007 
			 Basingstoke and Dean(1) 2 n/a n/a 
			 Central Hampshire (before April 2006) (1) 4 n/a n/a 
			 Central Hampshire (after April 2006)(1) n/a 4 62 
			 Havant(1) 4 n/a n/a 
			 Isle of Wight 0 4 29 
			 New Forest(1) 0 n/a n/a 
			 North East Hampshire(1) 4 n/a n/a 
			 North and East Hampshire (after April 2006)(1) n/a 9 48 
			 Portsmouth 6 37 48 
			 Solent East(1) 0 n/a n/a 
			 Southampton 6 5 58 
			 West Hants (before April 2006)(1) 0 n/a n/a 
			 West Hants (after April 2006)(1) n/a 0 51 
		
	
	
		
			  Table C: Special Constables (Head Count) 
			   31 March 2005  31 March 2006  31 March 2007 
			 Basingstoke and Dean(1) 39 44 n/a 
			 Central Hampshire (before April 2006)(1) 50 48 n/a 
			 Central Hampshire (after April 2006)(1) n/a n/a 120 
			 Havant(1) 26 29 n/a 
			 Isle of Wight 24 29 27 
			 New Forest(1) 27 29 n/a 
			 North East Hampshire(1) 21 24 n/a 
			 North and East Hampshire (after April 2006)(1) n/a n/a 120 
			 Portsmouth 34 35 44 
			 Solent East(1) 58 62 n/a 
			 Southampton 45 45 48 
			 West Hants (before April 2006)(1) 50 42 n/a 
			 West Hants (after April 2006)(1) n/a n/a 80 
			 (1) Basic Command Unit affected by boundary change in April 2006. (2) Figures taken from ad hoc collections for 30 June 2005 and 30 June 2006, which may not be consistent with the main National Statistics collections (in terms of definitions as well as the different dates).   Note:  Figures for Basic Command Units do not total to police force personnel totals, because Central Services (e.g. HQ staffing) are not included.

Police: Manpower

Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether numbers of officers employed by non-Home Office police constabularies are counted when calculating total police manpower levels; and how many such officers are employed in each force.

Tony McNulty: The Home Office does not routinely collect data on non-Home Office police forces. However, information on officer, police staff and police community support officer numbers has been provided by the British Transport police on a voluntary basis since 2002-03 in view of that force's high public profile. Although the data is published in the Home Office Statistical Bulletin, Police Service Strength, the number of BTP officers is not included in the overall police officer numbers used by the Home Office. At the end of March 2007 BTP had 2,555 police officers.

Police: Recruitment

David Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what proportion of police officers recruited in each year since 1997 were graduates.

Tony McNulty: The information requested is not collected centrally in the police personnel statistics series.

Police: Video Conferencing

David Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department on how many occasions a custody officer in a designated police station has used video conferencing or similar facilities to carry out oversight functions of a person detained at a non-designated police station under section 45A of the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984; and if she will make a statement.

Tony McNulty: The provisions of section 45A of the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984 have not been commenced. This is being considered as part of the consultation process on the Review of PACE.

Prisoners: Deportation

Edward Garnier: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many foreign national prisoners were deported or removed in each year from 2002 to 2006; and how many have been deported or removed in 2007.

Liam Byrne: On 14 June the chief executive of the Border and Immigration Agency wrote to the Home Affairs Committee to provide the most recent provisional information available on the deportation of foreign national prisoners. In this letter the chief executive reported that 2,784 foreign national prisoners were deported or removed in the financial year 2006-07.
	Statistics on the deportation of foreign nationals were last published in 2002. Copies of this are available in the Library of the House.
	Published information on persons removed as a result of deportation action has not been available from 2003 onwards due to data quality issues. The Border and Immigration Agency is putting in place new systems to improve its data collection systems for the future in this area.

Project Iris

Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether she plans to extend Project Iris beyond the existing terminals at which it is installed; and if she will make a statement.

Liam Byrne: The IRIS project was introduced to de-risk elements of the e-Borders Programme. Through this project we have been able to demonstrate that biometric technology can be used to securely permit the entry of low risk passengers to the UK via an automated barrier. IRIS is available at Heathrow, Gatwick, Birmingham and Manchester and there are currently no plans to roll out IRIS any further.
	As a result of lessons learnt from the IRIS project, wider automated clearance systems are now under development.

Terrorism

Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps have been taken to counter threats of nuclear terrorism against potential targets in the UK.

Tony McNulty: Countering the threat posed by nuclear terrorism is part of the Government's wider counter-terrorism strategy (CONTEST). This involves a large number of wide ranging actions by the Security Services, the Police and Government; the exact details of which cannot be given for reasons of national security.
	However, three examples of the type of steps taken by Government to counter this specific threat are:
	1. The UK's Global Threat Reduction Programme which operates and extends a programme of collaboration and international assistance aimed at reducing the threat of proliferation of nuclear and radiological materials. The Programme enables a wide range of non-proliferation and threat reduction activities, ranging from making safe spent nuclear fuel assemblies to improving security at civilian nuclear sites.
	2. Programme Cyclamen, which is the joint Home Office and HM Revenue and Customs programme to deploy radiation screening equipment at UK ports of entry. This aims to intercept the illicit movement of dangerous radiological and nuclear materials into the UK. Further details on this programme can be found at:
	http://security.homeoffice.gov.uk/science-innovation/radiation-screening1/
	3. The Home Office-led Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear (CBRN) Resilience Programme, established in 2002 to ensure that in the event of a CBRN terrorist incident the response from all concerned will be quick and effective, so that lives can be saved and the impact on property and the environment minimised. This programme has delivered significant improvements in the emergency response to radiological and nuclear incidents. Further details on the programme can be found at:
	http://security.homeoffice.gov.uk/cbrn-resilience/

Terrorism

David Kidney: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what information she has taken into account on provisions for detaining terrorist suspects before charge in other jurisdictions when formulating her policy on the matter.

Tony McNulty: We are aware of the policy on pre-charge detention in other countries. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs published a document entitled 'Counter-Terrorism Legislation and Practice: A Survey of Selected Countries' in October 2005. This can be found at:
	www.fco.gov.uk/Files/kfile/QSpercent20Draftpercent2010percent20FINAL1.pdf.
	We also published a document on 25 July 2007 entitled 'Terrorist Investigations and the French Examining Magistrates System' which can be found at:
	www.security.homeoffice.gov.uk/news-publications/publication-search/counter-terrorism-bill-2007/.

Terrorism: Evidence

Stephen Hesford: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if her Department will reconsider the merits of the case for allowing intercept material into evidence in  (a) criminal proceedings and  (b) proceedings involving offences under anti-terrorism legislation.

Tony McNulty: My hon. Friend will be aware of the independent Privy Counsellor Committee, chaired by Sir John Chilcot, which is currently reviewing this subject. The Committee will deliver their report in mid January and we will carefully consider their findings.

Written Questions

James Clappison: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when she expects to answer Question 165425, tabled by the hon. Member for Hertsmere on 13 November, on the resident labour market test.

Liam Byrne: I answered the hon. Member's previous question on 11 December 2007.

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

Burma: Arms Trade

Stephen Crabb: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent assessment he has made of the origin of military hardware being sold to Burma.

Meg Munn: We have considered the recent media reports about alleged arms sales to Burma. We continue to encourage all international partners not to sell arms to Burma and to observe responsible arms trade policies.
	As my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister reiterated in his statement of 15 October, Burma is subject to an EU arms embargo.

Burma: Arms Trade

Stephen Crabb: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs 
	(1)  what reports he received on the suspension by India of sales of military hardware to Burma following the recent suppression of pro-democracy protests in Burma;
	(2)  what recent discussions he has had with Indian ministers on sales of military hardware to Burma.

Meg Munn: We are aware of reports regarding the sale of Advanced Light Helicopters by India to Burma. The EU made formal representations to the Indian Government on this issue in July. The Indian Government assured the EU that it had no plans to sell the Advanced Light Helicopter to Burma. We have continued to make clear to the Indian Governmentat the most senior levelthat we are concerned that EU manufactured military equipment should not reach Burma via third countries. In a statement on 15 October, my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister said that we would ask the EU to review the implementation of the embargo with our partners to address any risk that arms or their components might be diverted or re-exported to Burma.
	My right hon. Friends the Prime Minister and Foreign Secretary, other Ministers and I continue to discuss the situation in Burma with our Indian counterparts. My noble Friend the Minister for Africa, Asia and the UN, the right hon. Lord Malloch-Brown, also raised Burma during his recent visit to India. We hope India will use its contacts with the regime to press for urgent political reform and dialogue. Like all other partners in the region, they stand to gain from seeing the re-establishment of a prosperous and stable neighbour. We will hope they will join us in working towards that objective.

China: Falun Gong

David Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had with EU counterparts on the human rights of Falun Gong followers in China; and if he will make a statement.

Meg Munn: We work closely with our EU partners to push for substantive improvements in the human rights situation in China, which includes raising concerns on the treatment of Falun Gong practitioners. We do not take a position on the nature of Falun Gong. However, we continue to support EU action to raise individual Falun Gong cases of concern with the Chinese Government. The EU did this at the most recent round of the EU-China Human Rights dialogue, which was held in Beijing in October. Foreign and Commonwealth Office officials also met a vice president of the European Parliament in September to discuss action on a range of human rights issues, including Falun Gong.

China: Falun Gong

David Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had with representatives of the Chinese Government on the human rights of Falun Gong followers in China; and if he will make a statement.

Meg Munn: The Government do not take a position on the nature of Falun Gong. We do, however, remain concerned by reports of the mistreatment of Falun Gong adherents, particularly those detained in Re-education Through Labour (RTL) camps. We raise our concerns over individual practitioners and for the need to reform RTL with the Chinese Government at every appropriate opportunity. We discussed this at the last round of the UK-China Human Rights dialogue in London on 5 February 2007. More recently, the Director of Public Prosecutions urged the Chinese Government to reform the RTL system during his visit to Beijing in September 2007.

European Gendarmerie Force

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to his answer of 11 December 2007,  Official Report, column 188, on the European Gendarmerie Force (EGF), under what circumstances the Government would give its consent to an EGF operation being held in the UK.

Jim Murphy: The primary purpose of the European Gendarmerie Force (EGF) is to assist in crisis management operations in post-conflict situations. The EGF will be available on request to any country facing a crisis situation. The Government can foresee no circumstances under which it would give consent to a EGF operation being held in the UK.

European Gendarmerie Force

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs for what reasons the UK did not sign the Treaty of Velsen concluded on 18 October; what discussions he held with other EU Member States on the UK's participation in a European Gendarmerie Force; what representations he received on the matter before reaching a decision; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Murphy: The UK has not held any discussions with other EU member states regarding our participation in the European gendarmerie force, nor have we received any representations.

Guinea Bissau: EU Defence Policy

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the status is of the European Security and Defence Policy mission to Guinea Bissau.

Jim Murphy: EU Foreign Ministers agreed on Monday 10 December to a general concept for a civilian European security and defence policy mission to provide advice on security sector reform in Guinea-Bissau. After discussion, it was agreed that this mission would have a civilian command chain and be financed as a civilian mission. Planning for the mission will be taken forward within the General Secretariat of the European Council. Further decisions, including final agreement to launch the mission, will be taken in the new year.

Iraq: Overseas Aid

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs with reference to the Answer of 9 October 2007,  Official Report, columns 437-8W, on Iraq: overseas aid; how much of the 744 million the Government has allocated to Iraq came from his Department.

Kim Howells: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to him by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for International Development on 13 December 2007,  Official Report, column 840W.

Iraq: Resettlement

Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the answer of 6 December 2007,  Official Report, column 1433W, on Iraq: resettlement, and with reference to the statements of 9 October 2007,  Official Report, column 27WS, and 30 October 2007,  Official Report, column 30WS, if he will make it his policy to allow local staff in Iraq who meet all criteria except completion of more than 12 months continuous service to apply for assistance; and if he will consider their eligibility on a case-by-case basis.

Kim Howells: We have no immediate plans to change the criteria announced by my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary in his written ministerial statements on 9 October 2007,  Official Report, columns 27-28WS and 30 October 2007,  Official Report, columns 30-33WS. My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary stated on 30 October that we might review the criteria in the light of experience. We will, however, wish to gather more evidence of the operation of the scheme as originally announced before any such review.

Ministers

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what departmental guidelines his Department uses on the size of delegation that Ministers will meet in a private meeting; and how many meetings each Minister in his Department has had at the request of hon. Members in the last two years.

David Miliband: There is no formal departmental guidance on restrictions to the size of delegations that meet with Foreign and Commonwealth Office Ministers. However, common practice is to encourage them to be as small as possible. We do not maintain central records of meetings requested by hon. Members.

Pakistan: Human Rights

Chris Mullin: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had with the Government of Pakistan on the two recently-detained Baluchi nationalists; and if he will make a statement.

Kim Howells: We have informed the Government of Pakistan of the arrests of two Pakistani nationals who were charged on 10 December with offences under the Terrorism Act 2000.

Somalia: Peacekeeping Operations

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether discussions were held at the EU-Africa summit on the willingness of African countries to send troops to Somalia as agreed under UN Security Council Resolution 1744 of February 2007; and if he will make a statement.

Meg Munn: Discussions about the security situation in Somalia were held at the EU-Africa summit but did not directly relate to UN Security Council Resolution 1744 or troop contributions to the African Union Mission to Somalia.
	Delegates noted that the EU's Africa Peace Facility is specifically intended to contribute to Africa's efforts to restore peace to key areas, including Somalia. Discussions highlighted the significant role of the African Union's Africa Peace and Security Architecture in developing an effective security system in Somalia.

Somalia: United Nations

Keith Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the answer of 22 November 2007,  Official Report, column 1042W, on Somalia: United Nations, what contingency plans the UN Security Council has developed for the deployment of a peacekeeping force in Somalia; and how conditions that would require deployment to take place will be monitored and assessed.

Meg Munn: UN Security Council members met with UN agencies at expert level on 5 December 2007 to discuss a UN force for Somalia. The UN is planning to send a technical assessment mission to Somalia to assess conditions and inform further planning. The UN Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Somalia is due to brief the Security Council on 17 December 2007.
	The UK, including in the Security Council, will continue to support the deployment of the African Union Mission to Somalia and the ongoing political reconciliation process.

Sudan: Peace Negotiations

Keith Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps the UK is taking to achieve the participation of stakeholders in the Darfur peace talks; and if he will make a statement.

Meg Munn: Only an inclusive political process can provide a sustainable solution to the crisis in Darfur. The UK has committed 1 million to support the African Union and UN joint mediation support team, which is currently focused on encouraging the rebel movements to unify further and agree on common platforms ahead of negotiations with the Government of Sudan. We have made clear publicly and directly to the rebel movements that there will be consequences for any party that seeks to obstruct progress.
	Civil society and Arab engagement in the political process will be essential for an inclusive process. The UK is filling five key posts in the Darfur-Darfur dialogue and consultation, which will be the main mechanism for civil society engagement in the political process and in longer-term reconciliation and rehabilitation in Darfur.

Sudan: Peacekeeping Operations

Andrew Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had with colleagues in  (a) African countries and  (b) non-African countries to encourage them to send transport and light support helicopters to the African Union-UN force in Darfur, Sudan.

Jim Murphy: holding answer 29 November 2007
	My noble Friend the Minister for Africa, Asia and the UN, the right hon. Lord Malloch-Brown, has pressed potential contributing countries on the need for helicopters for the UN-African Union hybrid force in Darfur. He has kept in close contact with the UN Department of Peacekeeping Operations, which is responsible for generating the force in consultation with the African Union, to complement their efforts.

Sudan: Peacekeeping Operations

Keith Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what mandate the African Union-UN peacekeeper in Darfur will have to disarm groups which violate the UN Security Council's arms embargo in the region; and what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the mandate.

Meg Munn: UN Security Council Resolution 1769 of 31 July 2007 mandates the UN-African Union hybrid peacekeeping force in Darfur (UNAMID) to prevent armed attacks, protect civilians, ensure the freedom of movement of humanitarian workers, and support the Darfur peace process. The resolution also mandates UNAMID to monitor whether arms or related material are present in Darfur in violation of UN Security Council Resolution 1556 of 30 July 2004, which placed an arms embargo on all non-government entities and individuals in the region.
	Until UNAMID has assumed authority in Darfur, which takes place on 31 December, we cannot assess the effectiveness of its mandate. Meanwhile, we are working closely with the UN Department of Peacekeeping Operations and the African Union for the prompt deployment of an effective UNAMID force that will be able to fulfil its mandate.

ENVIRONMENT FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS

Agriculture: Nitrates

Nigel Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what estimate he has made of the number of farmers who will be affected by his Department's proposals for a revised action programme to control pollution caused by nitrogen from agricultural sources  (a) within discrete nitrate vulnerable zones and  (b) across all land in (i) Ribble Valley constituency, (ii) Lancashire and (iii) England.

Phil Woolas: The consultation on implementation of the Nitrates Directive in England invites views on whether the proposed Action Programme measures should be applied either within discrete Nitrate Vulnerable Zones (NVZs), covering 70 per cent. of England, or across the whole of the country. Paper G4Assistance in the partial Regulatory Impact Assessment including extended Nitrate Vulnerable Zones, published in support of the consultation, provides details of my Department's assessment of the number of farmers impacted by the proposed Action Programme in either case.
	If the decision is taken to apply the Action Programme within discrete NVZs, approximately 139,500 farmers will be affected. If the decision is taken to apply the Action Programme across the whole of England, approximately 195,500 farmers will be affected. No assessment has been made for the Ribble Valley or Lancashire.

Agriculture: Subsidies

James Paice: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what financial corrections were imposed on the UK by the European Commission as a result of non-respect of farm payment deadlines in  (a) 2003-04,  (b) 2004-05,  (c) 2005-06 and  (d) 2006-07.

Jonathan R Shaw: The total financial corrections formally imposed on the UK by the European Commission in  (a) 2003-04,  (b) 2004-05,  (c) 2005-06 and  (d) 2006-07 as a result of non-respect of, or failure to meet, payment deadlines in respect of CAP direct aid schemes are as follows:
	
		
			   Amount () 
			  (a) 2003-04(1) 1,118,369.01 
			  (b) 2004-05(2) 35,675,037.80 
			  (c) 2005-06(3) 0 
			  (d)2006-07(4) 35,391,104.99 
			 Total 72,184,511.80 
			 (1 )Irregularity Decision 481/2003, and Ad Hoc Decisions No.15, 16 and 17. (2) Ad Hoc Decisions No. 18, 19 and 20. (3) Ad Hoc Decisions No. 21 and 22. (4) Irregularity Decision 678/2006 and Ad Hoc Decisions 23 and 24.

Agriculture: Subsidies

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when he plans to respond to the proposals of the EU Agriculture Commissioner for capping support to larger recipients of the single farm payment.

Jonathan R Shaw: The European Commission have not made formal proposals for limiting support to recipients of larger payments under the common agricultural policy (CAP). However, they have raised the possibility as part of their consultation on the forthcoming 'health check' reform of the CAP. The Government will respond to that consultation next spring.

Agriculture: Subsidies

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if he will assess the merits of a de minimis level to single farm payments.

Jonathan R Shaw: In the interests of cost effective administration, the UK currently applies the highest possible minimum area size allowed under EU regulations i.e. 0.3 hectares, but has not adopted the permitted option of setting a 100 minimum payment level. The European Commission signalled in its recent communication that it would review both the minimum area size and minimum payment level as part of the CAP 'Health Check'. The Department welcomes this opportunity to review the administrative benefits of various minimum levels alongside the potential impact on affected claimants.

Agriculture: Subsidies

Alan Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs from which part of his Department's budget the penalty for late payment of farm subsidies is to be met.

Jonathan R Shaw: The penalty for late payment of the single payment scheme entitlements is made from a separate ring-fenced budget.

Agriculture: Subsidies

Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if the Government will make partial single farm payments for 2007 before Christmas 2007.

Jonathan R Shaw: holding answer 13 December 2007
	 RPA does not plan, at this stage, to make partial payments for the 2007 single payments scheme. It is working to meet its targets of making more full payments to more farmers earlier than last year, with a view to making 75 per cent. of full payments, by value, by the end of March 2008 and 90 per cent. by the end of May 2008.

Animal Welfare: Sports

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps the Government has taken to improve the protection of the welfare of animals involved in sporting events.

Jonathan R Shaw: The Government introduced the Animal Welfare Act 2006, which came into force earlier this year, to protect the welfare of all animals, including animals used in sporting events. Under the Act it is an offence either to cause any captive animal unnecessary suffering or fail to provide for its welfare needs.
	The Act also provides powers to introduce new regulations to further promote the welfare of animals. The Government have made a commitment to introduce regulations to safeguard the welfare of racing greyhounds. There will be a public consultation on our proposals for greyhound racing before approval by Parliament. We intend to give this matter priority, although the timing of the consultation will be dependent on the response of the industry to the recommendations made in Lord Donoghue's recent independent review of greyhound racing.
	Additionally, in January 2007 new EU-wide welfare in transport rules came into force. These provide increased welfare protection when animals are transported in connection with an economic activity such as horseracing. To ensure there is no lessening of welfare protection for animals transported in connection with sporting events undertaken purely for pleasure or competition, the national legislation implementing the EU rules (The Welfare of Animals (Transport) (England) Order 2006 and parallel legislation in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland) include a general duty of care provision.

Avian Influenza: Pigeons

Jessica Morden: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment he has made of whether pigeons can  (a) catch and  (b) carry the H5N1 virus.

Jonathan R Shaw: DEFRA takes a science-based approach to all bird gatherings, including those that involve pigeons (both for showing and racing). A Veterinary Risk Assessment (VRA) using the best available scientific evidence is carried out to assess the risk of avian influenza (Al) specifically in relation to pigeons.
	The VRA cites evidence available that pigeons can be susceptible to the disease and in particular a study by the European Food Safety Authority in 2006 concluded that pigeons may have the potential to act as a bridging species between waterfowl and poultry. However, available evidence on the ability of pigeons to spread the Al viruses is limited and contradictory. It is likely that the susceptibility of pigeons (and other species of birds) to Al, and the clinical picture caused by infection, is strongly associated with genetic and biological variations between different strains of the virus.
	There is research available which suggests that pigeons have limited susceptibility to some virus strains (mainly isolated some years ago), but other more recent publications suggest the contrary and demonstrate that recently isolated strains of HPAI H5N1 could infect pigeons. This later study indicates that pigeons may be asymptomatic carriers of the Al virus.
	Pigeons could also spread Al mechanically through infective material on their feet and feathers, and there is potential, especially in long races, for pigeons to land and mingle with wild birds while still on the continent.

Badgers

Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what estimate he has made of the size of the badger population in  (a) England and  (b) Gloucestershire in each of the last 10 years for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement.

Joan Ruddock: Surveys of badger populations in Great Britain were undertaken in the mid-1980s and mid-1990s. In the mid-1980s the badger population was estimated to be 250,000 badgers and in the mid-1990s a survey estimated the population had increased by 77 per cent.
	DEFRA is not aware of any other national surveys which have attempted to estimate badger numbers in England and Wales.
	DEFRA does not have regional breakdowns of these figures.

Biodiversity

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs pursuant to the answer of 3 December 2007,  Official Report, column 738W, on convention on biological diversity, what assessment he has made of the effect on section III, paragraph 23, regarding a moratorium on the development of genetic use restriction technologies, of decision V/5 of the Convention on Biological Diversity on socio-economic and scientific assessments; and if he will make a statement.

Phil Woolas: Section III, paragraph 23 of Decision V/5 of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) recommends that products containing genetic use restriction technologies should not be approved for field-testing until justified by appropriate scientific data. Such products for commercial use should not be approved until appropriate scientific assessments (with regard to ecological and socio-economic impacts and any adverse effects for biological diversity, food security and human health) have been carried out. These assessments should be authorised, strictly controlled and carried out in a transparent manner, and only when the conditions for the products' safe and beneficial use have been validated should they be approved for field-testing. The UK Government have supported this decision at the CBD meetings. The views and case studies on the socio-economic considerations will be discussed at the next CBD meeting in May 2008.

Biofuels: Imports

Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much biodiesel was imported into the UK in the most recent year for which figures are available; what the primary sources of crops for that biodiesel were; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Fitzpatrick: I have been asked to reply.
	The total quantities of biodiesel and other transport fuels released for consumption in the UK are available via the HM Revenue and Customs website at http://www.uktradeinfo.com/index.cfm?task=bulloil During the first 11 months of 2007, for example, over 300 million litres of biodiesel were put onto the UK market. These figures do not distinguish between imported fuels and domestically produced fuels, and the Government are unable to provide a detailed breakdown of this. We are aware, however, that the majority of the biodiesel on sale in the UK is currently being imported, much of it from the United States of America.
	The Government do not have detailed information on the feedstocks from which the biodiesel was produced, because there is currently no requirement on transport fuel suppliers to provide this information. The primary feedstocks are likely to have been rapeseed oil, soya oil, palm oil, used cooking oil and tallow.
	Once the Renewable Transport Fuel Obligation (RTFO) comes into effect in April 2008, transport fuel suppliers will be required to report on a monthly basis on matters such as the feedstock from which their biofuels were produced and its country of origin. The Renewable Fuels Agency will be required to report regularly to Parliament on these matters.

Birds: Imports

Elliot Morley: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many seizures of wild birds imported illegally have been made since the import ban on wild birds has been put in place.

Joan Ruddock: From October 2005 to 30 June 2007 (the period covered by the temporary ban on wild bird imports), HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) made four seizures of birds illegally imported into the UK. Officials from HMRC used their border enforcement powers under the Convention on Trade in Endangered Species (CITES). These seizures comprised a total of five wild birds.
	HMRC have not made any seizures of wild birds under CITES since the latest EU Regulation for the captive wild bird ban came into force on 1 July 2007.

Birds: Imports

Elliot Morley: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if he will list imported birds by  (a) wild caught and  (b) captive bred categories imported into the EU in 2006.

Joan Ruddock: Throughout 2006 there was a ban on the commercial import of birds into the EU; there is still an import ban on wild-caught birds. Therefore, only pet birds and birds exempt from the ban for conservation purposes have been imported into the EU. The UK does not hold records for the whole of the EU, as these are held by the European Commission.

Birds: Imports

Elliot Morley: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many  (a) CITES and  (b) non-CITES listed birds were imported into the UK from (i) inside and (ii) outside the EU in each year between 2000 and 2007.

Joan Ruddock: CITES listed birds can be moved freely within the Community and no statistics are available of specimens moving within the free trade area.
	The number of CITES listed birds imported into the UK from outside the EU between 2000 and 2007 was as follows:
	
		
			  Number 
			 2000 6,044 
			 2001 11,919 
			 2002 54,499 
			 2003 74,954 
			 2004 18,295 
			 2005 23,478 
			 2006 113 
			 2007 (1) 
			 (1) No figures currently available 
		
	
	There are no records kept of the numbers of non-CITES listed birds moved into the UK from within or outside the EU.

Bovine Tuberculosis

Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment he has made of levels of tuberculosis transmission from cattle to other animals; and if he will make a statement.

Jonathan R Shaw: holding answer 13 December 2007
	 We have not sought to assess the levels of transmission of tuberculosis (TB) from cattle to other animals for three reasons:
	(i) While TB is primarily a respiratory disease in the majority of mammalian species including cattle, the relative importance of different routes of transmission among and between species is unknown;
	(ii) Small numbers of many wild and domesticated mammalian species have been shown to be infected with bovine TB, however, most are spill-over end hosts and there is no evidence that they can transmit infection to other species; and,
	(iii) Being infected with a disease does not mean that the individual is necessarily infectious to others. The reasons for this are usually immunological (the animal may contain the disease effectively) or behavioural (e.g. the species may be solitary). The current TB testing and slaughter regime applied to cattle ensures that in reality, the number of infected cattle which remain in herds long enough to become infections is extremely low and very few develop clinical signs of the disease.
	The principle species affected by bovine TB in GB are cattle and badgers and research from the Independent Scientific Group on Cattle TB has provided evidence which confirms that there is a cycle of disease between the two. However, it has not been possible to quantify the relative contribution of cattle or badgers to the level of the disease and this will vary between areas.

Bovine Tuberculosis: Compensation

Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if he will ensure that compensation paid to farmers for cattle slaughtered as a result of contracting bovine tuberculosis reflects the market values of different types of cattle.

Jonathan R Shaw: Since February 2006, cattle compensation for bovine tuberculosis-affected animals in England has been determined primarily using table values, based on contemporaneous livestock market sales prices, for 47 specified categories of cattle.
	To support the system, significant amounts of sales data are continuously collected by an independent service provider from a large number and wide range of sources across Great Britain. Information from around 99 per cent. of open sales is captured, and details of about 100,000 individual transactions are collected each month. In 2006, nearly 8,000 cattle sales were included in the table valuations, comprising 1.23 million head of cattle.

Climate Change

Dai Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what meetings he has had with environmental non-governmental organisations (NGOs) to discuss the international meeting of the parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, being held in Bali; and whether the Government has provided financial support to assist such NGOs to attend the Bali meeting.

Phil Woolas: On 3 December, the Secretary of State and I held a roundtable discussion on the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) meeting in Bali, with chief executive level representatives from the non-governmental organisation (NGO) and business community.
	Financial assistance has been provided to a small number of individuals who are supporting the work of Her Majesty's Government in Bali. However, no funding has been provided to organisations in order for them to attend the Bali conference.

Departmental Expenditure

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs pursuant to the written ministerial statement of 15 November 2007 on DEFRA Winter Supplementary Estimate, Departmental Expenditure Limit and Administration Budget Changes, if he will give a detailed breakdown of the  (a) 80,000,000 in respect of professional services and  (b) 10,000,000 in respect of the outsourced IT contract; and if he will make a statement.

Jonathan R Shaw: Both transfers from Programme Budget to Administration Budget were required in response to HM Treasury's request for a tighter application of the existing classification rules across the whole of Government. The figure was supported by an analysis of the Programme spend in current and previous years with organisations that provide those services. That analysis is currently considered to be commercially sensitive.
	Part II of the DEFRA winter supplementary estimate shows which business areas of the Department made the transfers.

Departmental Marketing

Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if he will place in the Library a copy of the guidelines issued to staff maintaining his Department's and its agencies' corporate identity; and what the estimated annual cost is of  (a) producing and  (b) complying with such guidelines.

Jonathan R Shaw: My Department's corporate identity guidelines are not produced in hard copy. They are available to staff through the Department's intranet service. There are no ongoing costs for producing the guidelines. In 2006-07, the guidelines were refreshed for the first time since the Department was established in 2001. The cost of the refresh was 27,500. The refresh has provided a modernised and simplified approach to use of the corporate identity. The guidelines are used across the Department and by a range of stakeholders. It would not be possible to calculate the cost of complying with them.
	A copy of the guidelines will be placed in the Library.

Departmental Publicity

Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much his Department and its agencies spent on staff working on  (a) marketing and  (b) branding in the last 12 month period for which figures are available.

Jonathan R Shaw: Within the Communications Directorate in core DEFRA, it is expected that the staff costs for branding and marketing in the current financial year 2007-08 including national insurance and pensions will be 1,075,000. This covers 17 full-time equivalent staff working on marketing communication activities for key areas such as climate change, waste, animal disease prevention, water saving, biodiversity and protecting the natural environment.
	Individual records of spend for DEFRA's non-departmental public bodies, agencies and financially sponsored organisations are not held centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Departmental Publicity

Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much his Department and its agencies spent on managing their corporate identities in the last 12 month period for which figures are available.

Jonathan R Shaw: In 2006-07, the guidelines were refreshed for the first time since the Department was established in 2001. The cost of the refresh was 27,500. The refresh has provided a modernised and simplified approach to use of the corporate identity. The guidelines are used across the Department and by a range of stakeholders. It would not be possible to calculate the cost of complying with them.

Farms: Public Footpaths

Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs who is responsible for changing gates on footpaths across farmland in order to comply with the Disability Discrimination Act 2005; and if he will make a statement.

Jonathan R Shaw: The Disability Discrimination Act now ensures that private or public landowners, who are 'service providers', will also be subject to the new provisions of the Act. They are required to take reasonable steps to remove, alter or provide a reasonable means of avoiding physical features, e.g. stiles, which act as barriers to disabled people accessing their services. However, the Act and its implications for rights of way are complicated and in many cases the full extent of its application will need to be established by case law.

Farms: Public Footpaths

Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what obligations there are on local authorities to display information on behaviour to be adopted when walking across farm land; and if he will make a statement.

Jonathan R Shaw: There are no obligations on local councils to display signs on behaviour in the countryside when walking across farm land. However, the Countryside Code, which applies in England and Wales and has been widely publicised, makes it clear what the responsibilities are for both the public and the people who manage the land.

Fisheries

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 
	(1)  what research he has commissioned on the compliance with fisheries rules and regulations; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  what steps he is taking to improve the level of compliance with fisheries regulations; and if he will make a statement;
	(3)  if he will make a statement on reforming the system of penalties for violations of fisheries rules and regulations;
	(4)  how many boat  (a) owners and  (b) skippers were convicted for a violation of fisheries rules in each year since 1997, broken down by violation;
	(5)  what sanctions were imposed on boat  (a) owners and  (b) skippers who were convicted for a violation of fisheries rules in each year since 1997, broken down by violation.

Jonathan R Shaw: DEFRA has recently commissioned research looking into compliance with the reduced margins of tolerance set out in the cod recovery plan. We have forwarded the results of this work to the Commission in support of our request for an across-the-board review of the rules relating to margins of tolerance.
	More generally, my officials keep the rules of the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP) under constant review to ensure that they achieve their enforcement objective in a way that imposes the minimum burden upon both fishermen and administrations. The first step in achieving compliance is to ensure that the rules in place are necessary, can be easily understood and can be effectively enforced. When enforcing the regulations resources are targeted using risk-based systems and sanctions are imposed at levels that act as a clear deterrent to others. We shall be using the forthcoming review of the Control Regulation as an opportunity to re-examine the whole body of CFP control rules to ensure that these objectives are met.
	Following earlier discussion with the fishing industry, DEFRA is currently consulting stakeholders over the introduction of a system of administrative penalties for fisheries offences with effect from April 2008. We believe that such a system can deal more rapidly and effectively with fisheries offences, will increase transparency and reduce costs and uncertainty for fishermen and will offer a more appropriate non-court means of disposal for minor offending.
	I have arranged for detailed information on the compliance with fisheries rules and regulations to be placed in the Library of the House.

Fisheries Protection Squadron

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs pursuant to the answer of 26 November 2007,  Official Report, column 41W, on the Fisheries Protection Squadron, whether consideration has been given to contracting the Fisheries Protection Squadron for up to 960 patrol days.

Jonathan R Shaw: In preparation for the new Ministry of Defence (MOD) and Marine and Fisheries Agency (MFA) agreement 2008-13, it was not considered necessary to contract the Fisheries Protection Squadron (FPS) for 960 days.
	The current agreement allows a range of 700-950 patrol days per year. The annual requirement for patrol days has been reduced annually to reflect, among other things, the improved capability and performance of the River class vessels since their introduction. The current year (2007-08) requires the provision of 800 days, which includes the use of Hunt class vessels.

Fishing Vessels

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many times on-board observers have visited UK fishing vessels in the last 12 months; and if he will make a statement.

Jonathan R Shaw: During 2007, UK vessels participated in a number of different schemes that required observers to be on board. Several observer-accompanied trips were undertaken by UK vessels in the cod recovery zone as part of a pilot scheme, both to test their effectiveness and confirm the extent to which the vessels were able to avoid cod.
	In addition, scientific observers from the Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquatic Science (CEFAS) have participated in 405 sampling trips and a further 20 trips under the Fisheries Science Partnership. These research trips all took place on board UK fishing vessels.
	This relates only to observers and not to Marine and Fisheries Agency and Royal Navy British Sea Fishery Officers who, as part of their duties, routinely board vessels operating in UK waters to ensure that they are complying with relevant regulations.

Floods

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs which 20 areas are most at risk of flooding; and which region each is in.

Phil Woolas: Risk is defined in flooding terms as a combination of probability and consequences. There is as yet no national assessment of risk on this basis which can be used to give a reliable ranking as requested. However, the local authority areas in England identified by the Environment Agency's 2006 National Flood Risk Assessment as having the most properties in areas considered to have a significant probability of flooding, (i.e. greater than one in 75 or 1.3 per cent. chance in any one year) are given in the following table.
	The actual probabilities of flooding for these properties will vary within the one in 75 and higher probability band and the table should not be regarded as a reliably accurate ranking of areas' vulnerability to flooding. It must also be recognised that this estimation is a complex process and, although techniques are developing rapidly from research to operational methodology, it is subject to further improvement which may lead to changes in probability assessments in the future.
	
		
			  Local planning authority  Government region 
			 Boston District East of England 
			 Windsor and Maidenhead South East Region 
			 Enfield London Borough London 
			 King's Lynn and West Norfolk District East of England 
			 Spelthorne District South East 
			 Runnymede District South East 
			 Warrington North West 
			 East Lindsey District East of England 
			 City of Leicester East Midlands 
			 Shepway District South East 
			 Birmingham District West Midlands 
			 Reading South East 
			 North East Lincolnshire Yorkshire and Humber 
			 Elmbridge District South East 
			 Merton London Borough London 
			 Kirklees District Yorkshire and Humber 
			 Calderdale District Yorkshire and Humber 
			 East Riding of Yorkshire Yorkshire and Humber 
			 Hillingdon London Borough London 
			 Waltham Forest London Borough London

Floods

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs pursuant to the answer of 12 November 2007,  Official Report, column 14W, on the responsibility for surface water flooding, what additional tasks the Environment Agency will perform under its responsibilities for maintaining a strategic overview of all forms of flood risk; and what budget will be available for those additional tasks.

Phil Woolas: Detailed proposals for the Environment Agency's strategic overview role for inland flood risk are still being considered and will then be subject to public consultation.

Floods

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when he expects Sir Michael Pitt to publish the results of his review into the summer floods.

Phil Woolas: The interim report of the review led by Sir Michael Pitt was published today. A final report will be published next year.

Floods: Dams

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent assessment he has made of the safety of dams in the event of flooding.

Phil Woolas: The Reservoirs Act 1975 provides a safety regime for large raised reservoirs and their dams. It is the responsibility of the operators and owners of dams and reservoirs to maintain them in a safe condition in the event of flooding. DEFRA is not involved in making individual assessments of the safety of dams in the event of flooding.

Floods: North Yorkshire

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many organisations are involved in the management of surface water flooding in North Yorkshire.

Phil Woolas: In North Yorkshire, as elsewhere in the country, several organisations are responsible for different elements of the surface water drainage network:
	(i) The Environment Agency has permissive powers to undertake works to manage flood risk from rivers legally designated as main and from the sea, and undertakes flood forecasting, warning and mapping.
	(ii) Internal Drainage Boards exist in areas of special drainage need and have permissive powers to carry out works on watercourses not designated as main.
	(iii) Local authorities have permissive powers for watercourses not designated as main and not within an internal drainage board area, and for land use planning.
	(iv) Highways authorities (including local authorities) are responsible for the draining of areas within the highway boundary.
	(v) Yorkshire Water is the water and sewerage undertaker in North Yorkshire and is responsible for the effectual drainage of foul and surface water arising from the drains of premises connected to its sewerage system.
	(vi) Riparian Landowners have various responsibilities for the maintenance and effectiveness of drainage channels and watercourses within and along their property boundary, to maintain the integrity of the river banks and to ensure that water flows without obstruction through their land.
	(vii) British Waterways is responsible for managing flood risk from its canals.
	(viii) Reservoir undertakers have safety obligations.

Floods: River Thames

Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what  (a) advice and  (b) guidance he has given to local authorities along the River Thames on flooding and the prevention of flooding; and if he will make a statement.

Phil Woolas: Local planning authorities have a major role to play in ensuring flood risk is not increased as a result of inappropriate development. The Department for Communities and Local Government issued strengthened policy guidance on this for planning authorities in December 2006. An accompanying practice guide is being developed as a living draft to provide practical guidance on how to take full account of flood risk when making planning decisions.
	The Environment Agency liaises with local authorities, including Thames and London councils, on planning policy and emergency planning including on flood incident contingency planning in local resilience forums.

Game Birds

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what research he has  (a) initiated and  (b) evaluated on the number of game birds (i) reared and (ii) shot by persons who are not members of registered field sport organisations.

Joan Ruddock: There has been no research conducted on the number of game birds reared and shot by persons who are not members of registered field sport organisations.

Game Birds

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs pursuant to the answer of 28 November 2007,  Official Report, column 537W, on game birds, what steps he took to  (a) verify and  (b) audit the consultations undertaken by public and corporate economic consultants in relation to the 2006 report referred to.

Joan Ruddock: As my Department did not commission this report it has taken no steps to verify or audit it.

Game: Non-Domestic Rates

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs pursuant to the answer of 3 December 2007,  Official Report, column 740W, on game: non-domestic rates, what his timetable is for consulting the Information Commissioner; and if he will place a copy of the Commissioner's reply in the Library when it is received.

Joan Ruddock: The consultation referred to in my previous answer closes on 5 February 2008. A view will not be formed on whether the supply of personal data to the other Government Departments or non-departmental public bodies is tenable until the full set of consultation responses has been analysed. My previous answer referred to relevant guidance, such as that issued by the Information Commissioner. This is already in the public domain and is accessible from the Information Commissioner's website.

Game: Non-Domestic Rates

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs pursuant to his answer of 3 December 2007,  Official Report, column 740W, on game: non-domestic rates, what  (a) statutory and  (b) other obligations his Department is under to report relevant information on valuation and the recovery of taxation to the Valuation Office Agency; and if he will make a statement.

Joan Ruddock: DEFRA has identified no statutory or other requirement that compels it to report relevant information on valuation and the recovery of taxation to the Valuation Office Agency in respect of data held on the GB Poultry Register.
	The personal data held on the GB Poultry Register is subject to the Data Protection Act 1998 and other relevant legislation. Further information about the legal considerations relevant to public authorities' ability to share data, such as that contained on the GB Poultry Register, can be found in the Ministry of Justice publication, Public sector data sharing: Guidance on the law, which is available on the Department for Constitutional Affairs website.

Government Departments: Carbon Emissions

Dai Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps he is taking to collect recent data on the carbon dioxide emissions from Departments; and if he will make a statement.

Phil Woolas: Departments are required to report their carbon dioxide emissions data to the Sustainable Development Commission (SDC), who report annually. The 2006 'Sustainable Development in Government Report' is available on the SDC website at:
	http://www.sd-commission.org.uk/sdig2006/.
	The 2007 report will be published early in the new year.

Housing: Carbon Emissions

John Battle: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether he plans to raise the levels of grants available for the Low Carbon building programme; and if he will make a statement.

Malcolm Wicks: I have been asked to reply.
	When the Low Carbon Buildings programme household funding stream was re- launched in May 2007, we introduced a grant cap of 2,500 per household and a number of other changes. This was to support a greater number of installations with the limited funds available and to reach a wider audience.
	Although we have seen a fall in household applications since the re-launch, we are seeing a much better spread of applications across all technologies, which is a key objective of a demonstration programme such as this.
	We will continue to monitor the impact of the 2,500 grant cap on application levels. The household stream will continue until funds run out or March 2009, whichever comes sooner. In the meantime, we are working with industry to promote the programme and encourage take-up.

Housing: Carbon Emissions

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what estimate he has made of  (a) set-up and  (b) annual running costs of the Green Homes initiative, broken down by main budget heading.

Phil Woolas: The exact budget and breakdown of costs is not yet known and will be part of the Government's comprehensive spending review prioritisation process. We have committed to provide over 100 million in the next three years to the Energy Saving Trust to develop the proactive Green Homes Service, based on a regional network of one-stop shops. This will build on the 10 million already provided to trial the service.

Housing: Carbon Emissions

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what estimate he has made of the number of households to be offered energy-saving advice from Government-funded initiatives in  (a) 2007-08,  (b) 2008-09 and  (c) 2009-10.

Phil Woolas: DEFRA funds the Energy Saving Trust (EST) to promote the sustainable and efficient use of energy in the domestic sector. In 2007-08 EST's target is to achieve 1.5 million customer contacts, through a local advice service and the internet. So far this year, the EST is running ahead of its target by around 18 per cent. The roll-out of EST's sustainable energy network of regional advice centres, covering all aspects of individual emissions, is expected to boost customer contacts to 2.25 million in 2008-09 and 2.5 million in 2009-10.
	Since its launch in June 2007, there have also been over 600,000 visits to the Act on CO2 calculator, which provides tailored advice to individuals or households on the size of their carbon footprint.

Illegal Immigrants

Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many illegal immigrants have been discovered working for his Department and its agencies in the last year for which figures are available.

Jonathan R Shaw: The Department's contractors and sub-contractors are expected to have robust internal processes for ensuring appropriate personnel are engaged. From information held centrally, the Department is not aware of any illegal immigrants having worked for the core Department. Similar information on DEFRA'S Executive agencies is not held centrally and the information could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
	DEFRA came into being in June 2001. Employment in the civil service is in accordance with the civil service nationality rules, which are available at:
	www.civilservice.gov.uk/nationality
	DEFRA expects to comply with the current legislation for the prevention of illegal migrant working (section 8 of the Asylum and Immigration Act 1996). As a Government Department DEFRA expects to comply with the legislation in this area following guidance set out in the Baseline Security Standard.
	The hon. Member may wish to look at the Border and Immigration Agency (BIA) website which provides a good overview. The site is at:
	http://www.bia.homeoffice.gov.uk/6353/18383/18469/fullguidance1.pdf

Inland Waterways: Repairs and Maintenance

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much has been spent on maintaining waterways in England in each of the last five years.

Jonathan R Shaw: DEFRA holds information only for the three major navigation authoritiesBritish Waterways, the Environment Agency and the Broads Authority. It is not possible to disaggregate the figures for Wales from the total for British Waterways and the Environment Agency.
	The amount that has been spent on the waterways in the past five years in England and Wales is as follows:
	
		
			   m 
			 2002-03 223.01 
			 2003-04 210.24 
			 2004-05 193.34 
			 2005-06 204.98 
			 2006-07 209.42

Market Transformation Programme: Finance

Christopher Huhne: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much has been spent under his Department's Market Transformation Programme.

Joan Ruddock: Since DEFRA was formed in 2001, it has provided just over 13.5 million to its Market Transformation Programme over the seven years between 2001 and 2007. Annual expenditure levels are set out as follows:
	
		
			
			 2001-02 520,000 
			 2002-03 812,000 
			 2003-04 1,200,000 
			 2004-05 2,139,000 
			 2005-06 4,270,000 
			 2006-07 4,600,000

Meat: Waste Disposal

James Paice: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment he has made of the risk of disease transfer arising from the practice of composting meat waste on agricultural holdings where livestock are kept.

Jonathan R Shaw: The composting of low-risk (so-called category 3) catering waste and animal by-products is permitted by Regulation (EC) 1774/2002 and the Animal By-Products Regulations 2005.
	In 2002 DEFRA commissioned an independent risk assessment to look at the possible risks arising from the composting of this material. The aim of the risk assessment was to assess whether the EU composting standard offered sufficient pathogen destruction that the compost could safely be spread to land, and if so, to recommend alternative treatment standards that were at least as effective as the EU standard.
	The risk assessment examined conventional pathogens such as E. coli and salmonella, as well as major exotic pathogens including foot and mouth disease and classical swine fever. It concluded that the standards for the composting of low-risk catering waste and animal by-products were sufficient subject to certain recommendations; for example, a grazing ban for a period of time after application to land. The risk assessment is available on the DEFRA website.

Meat: Waste Disposal

James Paice: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the minimum physical requirements are for separating a meat composting facility from a livestock facility on the same agricultural holding.

Jonathan R Shaw: Under the Animal By-Products Regulations 2005, it is an offence to bring animal by-products or catering waste onto a premises where livestock are kept. If, therefore, a livestock farmer wishes to compost animal by-products or catering waste, he must ensure that the composting facility is operated as a separate premises. The precise requirements for separation will be established on a case-by-case basis by the inspecting animal health officer, but typical requirements may include complete fencing off of the composting premises and separate access to the public highway. The inspecting officer will need to be fully satisfied that livestock cannot gain access to the animal by-products or catering waste.

Mining: Lead

Mark Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what research the Government have  (a) commissioned and  (b) assessed on the release of lead into the environment from land excavation.

Joan Ruddock: holding answer 6 December 2007
	DEFRA has commissioned no recent research into the release of lead into the environment from land excavation.

National Fallen Stock Collection and Disposal Scheme

Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the fallen stock disposal scheme as it applies to large animals; and if he will make a statement.

Jonathan R Shaw: The Government are satisfied with the effectiveness of the arrangements for collecting and disposing of animals, of whatever size, under the national fallen stock scheme.
	Separate arrangements apply for fallen cattle aged over 24 months that must be tested post-mortem for BSE. The effectiveness of these arrangements is also kept under review. Most cattle are collected within 24 hours of notification to the TSE Surveillance Helpline.

Nitrate Sensitive Areas

Nigel Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what estimate he has made of the average cost to dairy farmers of implementation of the proposed changes to the action programme for nitrate vulnerable zones.

Phil Woolas: Annex 2 of the Regulatory Impact Assessment (RIA), accompanying the consultation on the implementation of the Nitrates Directive in England, provides details of my Department's assessment of the likely impact of the average annual cost to dairy farmers of implementation of the possible changes to the Nitrates Action Programme.
	The average annual cost to dairy farmers, depending on region and which of the options discussed in the RIA are taken forward, ranges from approximately 200 to 11,000 per farm.

Nitrate Sensitive Areas: River Trent

David Kidney: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if he will give consideration to removing the River Trent catchment area from the nitrate vulnerable zone on grounds of the long-term downward trend in nitrate content in the river.

Phil Woolas: My Department is considering under what circumstances removal of land from within a nitrate vulnerable zone may be possible in the future. The consultation on implementation of the Nitrates Directive in England, which closed on 13 December, invited stakeholder views on this issue.

Nitrates Directive: Public Participation

Nigel Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many responses there have been to his Department's consultation on the implementation of the Nitrates Directive in England.

Phil Woolas: To date my Department has received approximately 470 responses to the consultation on implementation of the Nitrates Directive in England. The consultation closed on 13 December 2007.

Office of Climate Change: Manpower

Peter Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many staff are employed in the Office of Climate Change, broken down by civil service grade.

Phil Woolas: holding answer 11 December 2007
	At 30 November 2007 the Office of Climate Change has a full-time equivalent of 48. It is our policy not to comment on staff grades where individuals could be identified.

Packaging: EU Law

Andrew George: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how the Producer Responsibility Obligations (Packaging Waste) Regulations 2007 apply to companies who handle packaging in the UK for products which are sold in  (a) other EU countries which have implemented the EC Directive on Packaging and Packaging Waste 94/62/EC and  (b) non-EU countries.

Joan Ruddock: holding answer 15 November 2007
	The Producer Responsibility Obligations (Packaging Waste) Regulations 2007 require that producers recover and recycle a proportion of all packaging handled.
	When calculating an individual producer's obligationthe amount of packaging they are obliged to recover and recyclepackaging and packaging materials that are exported from the UK are not included in the final calculation. Imported packaging carries a 100 per cent. obligation.
	Any packaging exported to other EU countries would be subject to the provisions of Packaging Waste Directive through the local transposing legislation.
	Packaging waste exported to non-EU countries would be subject to the regulations of the import country.

Pest Control: Rodents

Mark Oaten: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if he will assess the merits of lifting the prohibitions on the use of certain rodenticides.

Phil Woolas: As with other pesticides, approvals are only granted to rodenticides when there is evidence that the proposed use is safe for people and poses no unacceptable risk to the environment. Where necessary, restrictions are applied to ensure safe use. For example certain rodenticides are approved only for indoor use, because of an unacceptable risk to wildlife if they are placed outside. However, prohibitions and restrictions can be reviewed in response to an application, usually from the approval holder. In such cases it is the applicant's responsibility to provide evidence in support of the proposed amendment. In the case of rodenticides, application should be made to the Health and Safety Executive.

Plastics: Recycling

Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps he has taken to encourage mixed plastic recycling; and if he will make a statement.

Joan Ruddock: Mixed plastics is a term used within the recycling sector to refer to plastic packaging other than plastic bottles, which are the simplest part of the plastics waste stream to recycle.
	The Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP) is undertaking trials with a number of technologies with the aim of understanding the best ways to handle mixed plastics from an environmental, economical and technological perspective. The programme is investigating three main areas: collection, reprocessing, and end markets.
	Different recycling and recovery options are being considered as part of this work, including reprocessing mixed plastics into new plastics, incineration, chemical treatment and even turning them into diesel.
	WRAP'S focus on mixed plastics follows on from the successful uptake of plastic bottle recycling. Plastic bottle recycling has significantly increased in recent years, with around 132,000 tonnes of plastic bottles collected and recycled from UK households in 2006.

Recycling: Greater London

Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the recycling rates were for each London borough in each year since 1997.

Joan Ruddock: Household recycling and composting rates achieved by each London borough for the period requested can be accessed at the Audit Commission's website at:
	http://www.audit-commission.gov.uk/performance/dataprovision-previous.asp

Reptiles: Imports

Elliot Morley: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many  (a) CITES and  (b) non-CITES listed reptiles were imported into the EU in each year between 2000 and 2006.

Joan Ruddock: The number of CITES listed reptiles imported into the EU between 2000 and 2006 was as follows:
	
		
			   Number 
			 2000 221,196 
			 2001 211,870 
			 2002 252,924 
			 2003 311,880 
			 2004 277,760 
			 2005 261,044 
			 2006 409,941 
		
	
	The UK does not hold records on imports of non-CITES species into the EU.

Reptiles: Imports

Elliot Morley: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many  (a) CITES and  (b) non-CITES listed reptiles were imported into the UK from (i) inside and (ii) outside the EU in each year between 2000 and 2007.

Joan Ruddock: CITES listed reptiles can be moved freely within the Community and no statistics are available of specimens moving within the free trade area.
	The number of CITES listed reptiles imported into the UK from outside the EU between 2000 and 2007 was as follows:
	
		
			   Number 
			 2000 8,193 
			 2001 13,454 
			 2002 9,335 
			 2003 13,258 
			 2004 16,459 
			 2005 12,120 
			 2006 25,222 
			 2007 (1) 
			 (1) No figures currently available 
		
	
	 (b) (i) and (ii) There are no records kept of the numbers of non-CITES listed reptiles moved into the UK from within or outside the EU.

River Severn: Floods

Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs pursuant to the answer of 20 November 2007,  Official Report, column 768W, on River Severn: floods, if the Secretary of State will place in the Library copies of the documents to which he referred.

Phil Woolas: holding answer 11 December 2007
	I will arrange for copies of these documents to be placed in the House Libraries.

Sea Fishery Officers: Manpower

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many qualified sea fisheries officers there were in each year since 1997; how many are planned for each of the next 10 years; and if he will make a statement.

Jonathan R Shaw: The number of qualified British sea fishery officer posts in each year since 1997 is set out in the following table:
	
		
			   Number 
			 1997 76 
			 1998 76 
			 1999 68 
			 2000 67 
			 2001 67 
			 2002 67 
			 2003 72 
			 2004 75 
			 2005 74 
			 2006 75 
			 2007 75 
		
	
	Information on actual numbers of staff in post throughout the period is not readily available as vacancies will arise and be filled at various times during each year.
	We have no information on planned numbers of British sea fishery officers over the next 10 years.

Sewers: Floods

James Gray: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the reasons were for not extending the powers of the Environment Agency to include flooding from drains and sewers by the end of 2006 as planned in 2004; and what progress is being made towards rationalising responsibilities for drains and sewers.

Phil Woolas: In 2005 the first Government response to the consultation on 'Making Space for Water' we announced an intention to extend the role of the Environment Agency to include strategic overview of management of flood risk from all sources (rivers, the sea, sewer, surface water and groundwater) and of coastal erosion risk, and that these changes would be implemented progressively by 2009. We have announced the detailed form this new role will take on the coast, to take effect from next April, and are considering how it should be applied inland. As with the coastal overview role, the inland changes will be informed by public consultation.
	As part of the upcoming 'Government Water Strategy, Future Water', due to be published early in 2008, we will review approaches to urban drainage, taking account of recommendations from the independent review of the summer flooding being undertaken by Sir Michael Pitt. To support this work, the Government, along with UK Water Industry Research (UKWIR) is spending 2 million on 15 integrated urban drainage pilot studies around the country to test new approaches to reduce the risk of urban drainage flooding. The pilots, to be completed in spring 2008, are intended to clarify responsibilities for urban drainage management.

Waste Disposal: Leicester

Patricia Hewitt: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment his Department has made of the performance of Leicester city council on collection, recycling and disposal of household waste.

Joan Ruddock: Local authority household waste performance is measured by adding together their recycling and composting rates under Best Value Performance Indicators 82a (household waste the local authority sends for recycling) and 82b (waste sent by the authority to composting or anaerobic digestion).
	Leicester city council achieved a 27.2 per cent. household recycling and composting rate in 2006-07. The national average is 31 per cent.

Waste Management: Environment Protection

Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment he has made of the effect on the environment of  (a) incinerating waste and  (b) disposing of waste through landfill; and if he will make a statement.

Joan Ruddock: An independent review, peer-reviewed by the Royal Society, on the Environmental and Health Effects of Waste Management, was published by DEFRA in 2004. The review concluded that, based on the evidence from studies so far, the treatment of municipal solid wasteincluding by incineration and landfillhas, at most, a minor impact on human health and the environment. DEFRA has also published a study, Impact of Energy from Waste and Recycling Policy on UK Greenhouse Gas Emissions, which is available on the DEFRA website.
	Eleven per cent. of waste is currently incinerated in England, but an increase is likely to be needed to be able to meet Landfill Directive targets, despite big improvements in waste recycling and minimisation. Recovering energy from waste (including via incineration) offers a considerable climate change benefit compared to the alternative of landfill. This is primarily through avoided landfill methane emissions, with energy generated from the biodegradable fraction of waste also offsetting fossil fuel power generation.
	The Environment Agency ensures that emissions and other outputs from waste management facilities are within the limits set by the EU and the UK Government to minimise any negative impact.

Water: Nitrates

Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent discussions he has had with the Environment Agency on levels of nitrates in water; and if he will make a statement.

Phil Woolas: holding answer 13 December 2007
	 My Department worked closely with the Environment Agency (EA) during the recent review of Nitrate Vulnerable Zones in England. The EA regularly monitors nitrate concentrations in waters and this monitoring data played a fundamental role in informing the recent review.

Water: Nitrates

Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment he has made of the incidence of silting in rivers and waterways in connection with nitrates found in those waterways; and if he will make a statement.

Phil Woolas: holding answer 13 December 2007
	 My Department has not made an assessment of the incidence of silting in rivers and waterways in connection with nitrates found in those waterways.

Wild Boars

Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent progress has been made in  (a) finalising and  (b) publishing his Department's strategy for wild boar management.

Joan Ruddock: holding answer 13 December 2007
	My Department has made significant progress in developing the strategy and is currently considering aspects of its delivery. We intend to publish it in the new year as soon as these aspects are resolved.

INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

ACP Countries: Economic Agreements

Virendra Sharma: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what progress there has been on the economic partnership agreement negotiations; and what progress he expects before the 1 January 2008 deadline.

Gareth Thomas: As of 11 December, 17 countries have signed an interim goods agreement with the Commission. These are Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, the Seychelles, Mauritius, Zimbabwe, Madagascar, the Comoros, Botswana, Lesotho, Swaziland, Mozambique, Ivory Coast, Papua New Guinea and Fiji.
	Commissioner Mandelson reported to the European Union General Affairs and External Relations Council on 10 December that there is a good possibility that Ghana, Namibia, Cameroon, Gabon and the Caribbean will also sign goods agreements before 1 January.
	Thirty-two other Least Developed Countries in Africa and the Pacific are not expected to sign a goods agreement or economic partnership agreement before 1 January but will continue to have duty and quota-free access to the European Union after 1 January under the 2001 Everything But Arms initiative.
	South Africa is not expected to sign a goods agreement or economic partnership agreement before 1 January and will continue to have access to the European Union under its existing trade agreement.

Afghanistan: Overseas Aid

William Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what proportion of UK aid to Afghanistan was allocated to security assistance in the latest period for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement.

David Miliband: I have been asked to reply.
	Assistance to the Afghan security sector in financial year 2006-07, including the police was 17.5 million. This represented approximately 10 per cent. of UK aid spend in Afghanistan. This financial year (2007-08) 27.1 million has been committed representing approximately 16 per cent. of total UK aid to Afghanistan.

Afghanistan: Overseas Aid

Adam Holloway: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development 
	(1)  whether his Department's work in Afghanistan is primarily intended to support the development work undertaken by the Government of Afghanistan;
	(2)  whether his Department's work in Afghanistan is primarily intended to support the counter-insurgency role of UK armed forces in Helmand Province.

Gareth Thomas: DFID's programme is primarily intended to support the development work led by the Government of Afghanistan. The best way to do this is by supporting Afghans themselveswhich is why over 80 per cent. of our aid goes directly to the Government of Afghanistan. This is helping to build the legitimacy and capacity of the Government of Afghanistan to manage their own finances and economy. DFID's programme focuses on: building effective state institutions and better governance; improving economic management; and improving livelihoods.
	As a result of this support, Afghanistan has seen real progress since 2001, with life improving for many Afghans. Around 5.4 million children are now in school, over a third of them girls. This is up from an estimated 1 million children in school in 2001, of whom very few were girls and who were officially denied access to education under the Taliban. Afghan domestic revenues grew by over 300 per cent. between fiscal years 2002-03 and 2006-07 and over 166 million worth of small loans have been given to over 404,000 families, shopkeepers, tailors, farmers, builders and others to invest in legal businesses and increase their savings. DFID also provides support to the Afghan Government's National Solidarity Programme (NSP), which is helping over 18,000 community development councils identify development priorities, and has approved over 32,000 projects in villages across Afghanistanincluding building health clinics and schools, and improving water supplies and electricity generation.
	All elements of the DFID programme take account of and support the counter-insurgency role of UK armed forces in Helmand province, as well as other aspects of the UK's Comprehensive Approach in Afghanistan. DFID provides a development adviser to the Provincial Reconstruction Team in Helmand. Last year DFID provided 4 million of the total 6.2 million UK funding for Quick Impact Projects (QIPs), and this year will provide 6 million of the total 9 million of UK funding. By July 2007, over 180 QIPS were planned, on-going or complete, including training programmes for drug addicts, equipment and training for the Afghan police, improvements to the prison in Lashkar Gah, and construction of parks and children's playgrounds. DFID also works with the Government to improve service delivery in Helmand. In 2007-08 DFID provided 10 million of funding to help the Government of Afghanistan improve sanitation, build and maintain roads, and provide credit to support legal businesses, and we plan to provide the same amount next year.

Afghanistan: Overseas Aid

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what humanitarian aid his Department has provided to Afghanistan in the last 12 months.

Shahid Malik: DFID bilateral aid to Afghanistan totalled 98.8 million in 2006-07. Of this, 1.6 million was delivered as humanitarian assistance. Figures for 2007-08 will be available in June 2008. Data are not available on a December to November basis.

Afghanistan and Iraq: Reconstruction

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what recent progress has been made on his Department's reconstruction projects in  (a) Afghanistan and  (b) Iraq.

Douglas Alexander: DFID provides its main support to physical reconstruction projects in Afghanistan through three Government of Afghanistan programmes: the National Solidarity Programme (NSP), which funds community-level projects chosen by these communities; the National Rural Access Programme (NRAP), which builds and rehabilitates rural roads and bridges; and the Helmand Agriculture and Rural Development Programme (HARDP), which funds a wide range of development activity in Helmand province, including wells.
	As of 21 November, NSP had completed 15,111 projects in all 34 provinces of Afghanistan, an increase of 552 projects on the previous month. It had also rehabilitated 9,333 km of road and 101 bridges across the country, with a further 544 km of road and 16 bridges under construction. Meanwhile, under HARDP, 740 wells have been completed since the start of 2007, with 270 under construction. A further 1,000 wells and 6,030 latrines are planned for 2008. The Government also supports physical reconstruction projects in Helmand through its programme of Quick Impact Projects (QIPs). Over 230 QIPs have been implemented by the UK-led Provincial Reconstruction Team (PRT) in Helmand since July 2006, including 100 in 2007-08.
	Since March 2003, DFID has committed over 100 million to infrastructure regeneration projects in Iraq. This has helped to create employment for several thousand Iraqis in repairing some of southern Iraq's key infrastructure. We have added or secured 415 MW of electricity to the Iraqi national grid, and will be adding or securing a further 60 MW over the next few months. This will be enough to provide 24 hours of power for around 1 million people. By early 2008 DFID will have improved access to water for 1 million people.
	Our work with Basra Provincial Council (BPC) has helped it to deliver a Provincial Development Strategy (the first ever in Iraq), and establish increasingly transparent economic governance. The BPC was consequently able to access $195 million of central Government funds in 2007, after receiving nothing in 2005. We are also working with the Iraqi Government and the BPC to take forward a series of economic initiatives supported by my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister. They include a Basra Investment Promotion Agency (BIPA) and an overarching 'Basra Development Commission (BDC)', to be supported with advice from international business leaders, including from the UK.

Afghanistan and Iraq: Reconstruction

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development 
	(1)  what assessment he has made of the likely effect the  (a) Basra Investment Promotion Agency and  (b) Basra Development Fund will have on promoting private investment and reconstruction in southern Iraq; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  how much funding his Department has provided to the  (a) Basra Investment Promotion Agency and  (b) Basra Development Fund; and if he will make a statement.

Douglas Alexander: The Basra Investment Promotion Agency (BIPA) is being established to promote Basra as an investment destination and will advise on policies to improve the investment climate. The Basra Development Fund (BDF) will address the weakness of the banking system and lack of access to credit for businesses. It will focus on providing small and medium sized businesses with access to credit. The fund will be capitalised with US$ 30 million from the government of Iraq. Both institutions are expected to be running by March 2008.
	In addition, we are helping central and provincial authorities to establish a Basra Development Commission (BDC). The BDC will provide advice on private sector development in Basra and will involve top UK, Iraqi and middle eastern business people.
	DFID-funded consultants in the UK-led provincial reconstruction team in Basra are working closely with the authorities in Basra and Baghdad to establish these institutions, and UK funding will cover the initial set-up costs for all three. In total, the start-up costs of all three are estimated at around 1 million for this financial year. The government of Iraq has undertaken to provide funding for ongoing costs from 2008.

Afghanistan and Iraq: Reconstruction

William Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development pursuant to the answer of 3 December 2007,  Official Report, column 915W, on Iraq: reconstruction, 
	(1)  for what reasons the Government maintain that increased attention must be given to monitoring of the International Reconstruction Fund Facility for Iraq; and what shortcomings have been identified;
	(2)  what body will conduct the independent review of the International Reconstruction Fund Facility for Iraq;
	(3)  what the remit of the independent review of the International Reconstruction Fund Facility for Iraq will be; and what the deadline is for the review to report.

Douglas Alexander: The United Nations conducts its own internal monitoring systems as standard practice. These tend to focus more on factual outputs, such as number of schools refurbished or text books distributed. Furthermore, each project is assessed based on its own merit. This 'Multi-donor Stocktaking Review' will assess the impact and sustainability of projects funded by IRFFI rather than focusing on the outputs; it will also assess IRFFI funded programmes relative to programmes funded by bilateral donors.
	The stocktaking review will be led by a review steering committee (RSC), which is made up of four partiesCanada, the Commission, Japan and the UK. They are appointing an international consultancy firm to conduct the review. This tendering process is close to completion and, when it is, the successful bidder will be announced by UNOPS, the administrating agent.
	The stocktaking review will take a comprehensive look at the impact of IRFFI's projects in Iraq as a whole. It aims to provide an independent, results-based assessment of the appropriateness, efficiency and effectiveness of IRFFI-supported programmes. The review will be important for both the accountability of the Iraqi authorities to the Iraqi people, as well as donor agencies to their taxpayers. The review is expected to be completed in the second half of 2008.

Afghanistan and Iraq: Reconstruction

William Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what measures are in place to ensure the monitoring of UK-funded reconstruction projects in Basra in light of planned reductions in UK troop numbers; and if he will make a statement.

Douglas Alexander: DFID's reconstruction projects in Basra do not rely on military support for monitoring purposes. Projects are implemented by private contractors and supervised by Iraqi engineers employed by DFID's international contractors who are based in the military base at Basra airport. Planned reductions in troop numbers will not affect this arrangement.

Africa: Politics and Government

Chris Mullin: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps his Department is taking to co-operate with African Parliaments in countries where the UK has a substantial aid programme.

Gareth Thomas: In Africa, countries in which DFID is assisting, or has recently assisted, Parliaments include the Democratic Republic of Congo, Ethiopia, Malawi, Mozambique, Nigeria, Tanzania, and Uganda. Additionally, programmes to improve public financial management can involve work with parliamentary public accounts committees, as in the case of Zambia.
	DFID has committed support to the Pan-African Parliament and has also been funding a project to establish additional African chapters of the Parliamentary Network on the World Bank. This network mobilises parliamentarians in the fight against poverty, promotes transparency and accountability in international development and offers a platform for dialogue between the World Bank and parliamentarians.
	In order to improve understanding of the issues, we are helping to fund the African Legislatures Project, a three-year comparative research project on the legislatures of 18 sub-Saharan African countries.
	Other steps planned or in progress to improve the effectiveness of efforts to strengthen Parliaments include commissioning case studies on the relative strengths of different approaches to parliamentary strengthening; supporting the establishment of a contact group to harness UK-based enthusiasm for strengthening developing country Parliaments; and supporting the establishment of a donor consultative group on parliamentary strengthening.

Aviation

Christopher Huhne: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development 
	(1)  how many miles he and other Ministers in his Department travelled on short haul flights in the last 12 months; and what estimate he has made of the total amount of carbon dioxide emissions produced as a result of these flights;
	(2)  how many air miles were travelled by Ministers in his Department in each year since 2000; and what estimate he has made of the total amount of carbon dioxide emissions produced as a result.

Douglas Alexander: Since 1999 the Government have published a list of all overseas travel by Cabinet Ministers costing over 500. Information for the last financial year was published on 25 July 2007. Details for the current financial year will be published as soon as possible after the end of the financial year. From next year, the list will include details of overseas visits undertaken by all Ministers. All ministerial travel is undertaken in accordance with the Ministerial Code.
	All central Government ministerial and official air travel has been offset from 1 April 2006. Departmental aviation emissions are calculated on an annual basis and subsequently offset through payments to a central fund. The fund purchases certified emissions reductions credits from energy efficiency and renewable energy projects with sustainable development benefits, located in developing countries.
	In addition, offsetting the flights of Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, the Department for International Development, and the Prime Minister has been backdated to 1 April 2005.
	A list of Government Carbon Offsetting Fund members, their emission figures and what activities they have offset through the fund is available online at:
	http://www.defra.gov.uk/environment/climatechange/uk/carbonoffset/government.htm

Bangladesh: Overseas Aid

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what estimate he has made of the funding required to meet the immediate needs of the people affected by Cyclone Sidr in Bangladesh.

Shahid Malik: The Government of Bangladesh (GoB) have so far provided over 12 million to meet the immediate needs of the 8.9 million people affected by Cyclone Sidr. The GoB is also distributing water, food, water purification tablets, saline, blankets, tents, utensils and other relief items. The UK has provided 7 million through the United Nations and NGOs for immediate assistance in the form of food, clean and safe water, and the restoration of livelihoods. United Nations reports show that relief efforts have reached nearly all affected areas, with the water availability crisis having passed due to the high attention given to this by the GoB and others.
	However, more will be required for the recovery operation. The GoB has appealed to raise a further $1 billion, of which over $213 million has so far been pledged by bilateral donors. The UK is committed to the long-term rehabilitation of the affected area and is considering further support.

Christmas

Malcolm Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development whether it is his Department's policy to use  (a) incandescent light bulbs and  (b) LED lights for festive decorations on departmental premises.

Shahid Malik: DFID uses neither incandescent nor LED lights for festive decorations on departmental premises.

Christmas

Malcolm Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what his Department's policy is on the selection of  (a) real and  (b) artificial Christmas trees for his Department's festive decorations; and how real trees are disposed of.

Shahid Malik: DFID does not purchase real Christmas trees. One small artificial tree was purchased approximately five years ago and has been used ever since.

Departmental Aviation

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much has been spent by his Department on commercial international passenger flights in each year since 1997.

Douglas Alexander: Since 1999 the Government have published a list of all overseas travel by Cabinet Ministers costing over 500. Information for the last financial year was published on 25 July 2007. Details for the current financial year will be published after the end of the financial year. From next year, the list will include details of overseas visits undertaken by all Ministers. All ministerial travel is undertaken in accordance with the Ministerial Code.
	Information in respect of flights taken by officials could not be provided without incurring disproportionate cost.

Departmental Equality

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much has been spent by his Department  (a) in total and  (b) on staff costs on promoting equality and diversity in each of the last three years for which figures are available; and how many people are employed by his Department for this purpose.

Shahid Malik: DFID is fully committed to the Civil Service equality and diversity agenda. DFID's diversity strategy, together with its equality schemes (covering disability, race and gender), provide the broad framework under which our diversity and equality work is promoted and delivered across the organisation. DFID has developed a generic equality impact assessment toolkit to ensure that all its relevant UK policies and processes are assessed for any adverse impact on all six equality strands (disability, race, gender, age, sexual orientation and religion/belief).
	In order to meet the specific challenges of this agenda, we have undertaken a comprehensive range of activities. Monetary values have been assigned to these key activities and are set out in the following table for each of the last three financial years.
	
		
			  DFID spend on diversity activities 
			  000/number 
			   2004-05  2005-06  2006-07 
			  (a) Total (inc. staff costs) 390 217 459 
			  (b) Staff costs(1) (2)71 114 173 
			 
			 Number of full-time equivalent (FTE) staff(3) 2.2 3.1 4.5 
			 (1 )Staffing costs have been calculated using estimates of the staff time that has been allocated to the equality and diversity agendas in the core diversity team; using average staff cost data by grade (2) Due to a redefinition of staffing costs, data for 2004-05 cannot be compared directly with that given for subsequent years. (3 )A number of staff outside the core diversity team have also allocated a proportion of their time to promoting equality and diversity issues across DFID. These details are not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate costs.

Departmental Parliamentary Questions

Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how many staff work in his Department's parliamentary branch; and what proportion of their time is spent on dealing with  (a) Parliamentary Questions and  (b) correspondence from hon. Members and Peers.

Douglas Alexander: Three members of staff work in DFID's parliamentary unit. Ministerial correspondence is dealt with by a separate team.
	DFID does not keep a record of the proportion of staff time spent dealing with parliamentary questions or correspondence.

EU-Africa Joint Strategy

Chris McCafferty: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what discussions he has had with his Irish counterparts on Ireland's reservation to approve the text of the EU-Africa Joint Strategy on the grounds that the strategy supports universal access to reproductive health by 2015, as set out by the International Conference on Population and Development and the Maputo Plan of Action.

Gareth Thomas: holding answer 11 December 2007
	The UK fully supports universal access to reproductive health by 2015 and therefore DFID has regular contacts, at official level, with counterparts from Ireland about sexual and reproductive health issues.
	Ireland's reservations on the reference to the Maputo Plan of Action within the Joint Africa-EU Strategy and Action Plan were raised and discussed in working level meetings with all EU member states. The UK supported the presidency and Commission's approach to agreeing the text of the documents and member states agreed the following progressive commitments:
	 Strategy:
	Sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) will be promoted with the aim of achieving universal access to reproductive health by 2015 and to reduce newborn, infant and maternal morbidity and mortality, as set out by the International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD) and the Maputo Plan of Action, in the context of the Action Plans of this Joint Strategy.
	 Action Plan:
	Support the implementation of the Maputo Action Plan for the operationalisation of the continental policy framework for sexual and reproductive health and rights 2007 to 2010 within the context of established EU positions.
	The UK worked to ensure that the Joint Africa-EU strategy specifically addresses the off-track health MDGs and is pleased with the final Strategy and Action Plan.

Gaza: Politics and Government

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development 
	(1)  what recent assessment he has made of the humanitarian situation in Gaza; and what steps he is taking to improve the position for the indigenous population;
	(2)  what steps he is taking to address the humanitarian situation in Gaza.

Shahid Malik: On his recent visit to the occupied Palestinian territories (OPTs), the Secretary of State discussed the humanitarian situation in Gaza with Israeli and Palestinian leaders, businessmen, donors and humanitarian workers. These discussions confirmed the assessment provided by DFID's regular monitoring, much of which relies on information from the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA). OCHA's most recent reports indicate that although humanitarian aid is getting into Gaza, restrictions at crossings mean that only 41 per cent. of Gaza's food needs are being imported. Shortages in basic foodstuffs have led to price increases and less food being purchased. 80 per cent. of the population in Gaza now receives food aid. Following the fuel cuts imposed by Israel on 28 October, the public provider of water services is receiving only 50 per cent. of the fuel needed to operate its facilities. Combined with a lack of spare parts for generators, this has meant that some people are only receiving water for one to two hours a day.
	The UK is deeply concerned about the situation and we are doing what we can to help. During his visit, the Secretary of State expressed concern to Defence Minister Barak about the humanitarian effect of the reduction in fuel supplies and other Israeli actions. He discussed plans to reopen Gaza's crossings with President Abbas and Prime Minister Fayyad.
	The UK is also providing humanitarian assistance. In 2007, DFID has given 15.6 million to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency to provide essential services such as food, housing and education to Palestinian refugees in the occupied Palestinian territories and wider region. Refugees make up 70 per cent. of Gaza's population. We have provided 15 million to the Temporary International Mechanism (TIM) since 2006 for health services, allowances for government workers and water, sanitation and electricity services. We have also given 1 million this year to fund ICRC's emergency appeal for Gaza.

Iraq: Overseas Aid

Geoffrey Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development with reference to the answer of 9 October 2007,  Official Report, columns 437-38W, on Iraq: overseas aid, what lessons have been learnt from provincial reconstruction teams in Iraq that could apply to Afghanistan in terms of how and where aid is delivered.

Gareth Thomas: Provincial reconstruction teams (PRTs) were originally established in Afghanistan and adopted in Iraq as a successful model. The PRT model has proven itself as an effective means of improving the delivery and co-ordination of aid and other development activity in conflict environments.
	DFID works closely with other Government Departments and international partners to ensure that key lessons from PRTs in both countries are captured. The cross-departmental Post Conflict Reconstruction Unit has a formal role in ensuring that lessons are recorded for wider application, including the co-ordination of civilian and military initiatives. The primary purpose of PRTs in Iraq is to build the capacity of the provincial government to deliver benefits for its citizens. Major differences in the focus of the Iraq and Afghanistan programmes mean that some lessons are not readily transferred, but some general principles are applicable. The importance of building the capacity of provincial government and good governance, and of supporting each country's own central and provincial government to lead on and deliver reconstruction initiatives are major examples.

Offices

William Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how many overseas offices his Department has; and if he will make a statement.

Douglas Alexander: DFID has 68 overseas offices.

Sudan: Armed Conflict

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what recent reports he has received on local level conflict between the Hadendowa and the Beni Amer in Eastern Sudan.

Meg Munn: I have been asked to reply.
	Although we are aware of tensions between the Handendowa and the Beni Amer over resources and power sharing, we have not received any significant reports of violent conflict in Eastern Sudan since the signing of the East Sudan Peace Agreement in October 2007.
	The UK welcomes the stability that the East Sudan Peace Agreement has brought to the region and urges the parties to implement it fully and fairly. The UK is funding a UN programme to develop a comprehensive risk and threat mapping tool to provide a better understanding of local conflict dynamics, including in the East of Sudan, and to inform future aid programmes.

Sudan: Overseas Aid

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what representations he is making to ensure that the moratorium on humanitarian access to Darfur is extended in 2008.

Gareth Thomas: During his recent visit to Sudan the UN's Emergency Relief Co-ordinator, John Holmes, was given assurances by the Sudanese authorities that the moratorium will be extended beyond its January 2008 expiry. The UK is working closely with the UN and other international partners to ensure this undertaking is implemented promptly and in full. The primary mechanism for this lobbying is through the UN-Government of Sudan High Level Committee (HLC). DFID is about to assume the donor representative position on the HLC and we are pressing for a meeting as swiftly as possible.

Sudan: Peacekeeping Operations

Andrew Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what representations the Government have made to the UN Security Council to expedite the deployment of an effective UN-African Union force to Darfur, Sudan.

Jim Murphy: I have been asked to reply.
	We have called for the early deployment of the UN-African Union force in Darfur (UNAMID) in the UN Security Council. We have been in close contact with the UN Department of Peacekeeping Operations (DPKO), which is responsible for generating the force in consultation with the African Union, on how we can speed up deployment: my noble Friend the Minister for Africa, Asia and the UN, the right hon. Lord Malloch-Brown, spoke to Under-Secretary-General Guehenno, Head of the DPKO, most recently on 6 December to discuss the issue. And my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary spoke about UNAMID with UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on 7 December.
	We are working closely with allies in the Security Council to co-ordinate efforts in support of the DPKO and continue to press all parties for the prompt deployment of an effective force to Darfur.

UK Search and Rescue Advisory Group

Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development when the UK Search and Rescue Advisory Group met in 2007; and if he will place minutes of the meetings in the Library.

Shahid Malik: holding answer 6 December 2007
	 The United Kingdom International Search and Rescue Advisory Group (UKISARG) met five times in 2007 on the following dates:
	19 March
	16 April
	15 June
	1 October
	24 October
	Minutes of these meetings will be placed in the Library.

DEFENCE

Africa: EC Action

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  when he expects the EU Special Committee ATHENA to approve an agreed budget for the EU mission to Chad/Central African Republic;
	(2)  when he expects the force generation for the EU military mission to Chad/Central African Republic to be completed.

Bob Ainsworth: A third force generation conference for the proposed ESDP mission to Chad took place on 21 November, but with critical gaps remaining in the assets offered, further force generation is underway. We continue to work with partners to ensure the process is completed as soon as possible.
	Once force generation for the mission has been completed, a budget for the mission common costs will be presented for agreement by the EU Special Committee under the ATHENA arrangements.

Africa: Military Aircraft

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many RAF  (a) C-17 Globemaster,  (b) C-130K Hercules,  (c) C-130J Hercules,  (d) Tristar and  (e) VC-10 aircraft will be used for the upcoming EU mission to Chad/Central African Republic.

Bob Ainsworth: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 12 November 2007,  Official Report, column 53W.

Armed Forces: Children

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what mechanisms his Department provides to help the families of service personnel with childcare while personnel are on deployment.

Derek Twigg: MOD has a very wide range of mechanisms available to support the families of Service personnel with their childcare needs, including while Service personnel are deployed on operations. In particular, we have recently introduced a childcare voucher scheme to assist personnel with the cost of childcare. In the UK, though local authorities and devolved administrations have the lead responsibility for facilitating access to appropriate childcare, many Service locations also have onsite childcare provision tailored for the Service community. This is particularly the case in many overseas locations where the MOD takes the lead in service provision. Service families seeking childcare can access information through the MOD HIVE Information Service and, in UK, through the normal childcare information services. All of these services continue to be available to families while Service personnel are deployed.
	In addition, the armed forces have welfare and community support staffs that focus on providing additional support and guidance to the Service community, including childcare development. They and other support groups, such as the Families Federations, are available throughout periods of deployment.
	Ultimately, the care of their children must remain the personal responsibility of all Service parents regardless of deployment. This includes a requirement to make plans in advance to cater for their families during any deployments. However, in exploring further ways in which they can be supported in this, the Department is completing a review of the provision of childcare across the armed forces and plans to publish a new MOD childcare policy in early 2008.

Armed Forces: Coroners

Bernard Jenkin: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the cost was of providing legal representation for  (a) the families of servicemen and women killed on operations which were paid for by his Department and  (b) his Department at coroners' inquests in the last 12 months for which figures are available.

Bob Ainsworth: I will write to the hon. Member and place a copy of my letter in the Library of the House.

Armed Forces: Coroners

Bernard Jenkin: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many departmental personnel on average attended coroners' inquests into the deaths of a serviceman or woman in the last 12 months for which figures are available.

Bob Ainsworth: The information requested is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
	The Ministry of Defence (MOD) is keen to support coroners in the conduct of their statutory duty to inquire into certain deaths. The level of MOD attendance at the inquests into the deaths of service personnel will vary depending on the circumstances of the death, and the roles of those attending are varied.
	The Ministry of Defence provides the family of a deceased service person with a dedicated visiting officer to support them through their bereavement and it is usual for visiting officers to attend inquests as part of their duties. On occasion, other welfare support staff will also attend to assist the families; each case varies and is largely dependent on the wishes of the families.
	An inquest into a road traffic accident on public roads in the UK may have only one or two MOD personnel attending, made up of the family's visiting officer and, as needed, an officer to report on the proceedings and findings. For more complex inquests, there is a greater level of attendance; this may include MOD service and civilian personnel who have been called as witnesses, as well as MOD subject matter experts provided to assist the coroner to establish the facts around more complex areas such as operational or technical issues. The MOD may also have support staff for witnesses and a press officer in attendance on some occasions.

Armed Forces: Deployment

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the expected tour length is of Apache crews; and whether there are any plans to change the length of operational tours.

Bob Ainsworth: The Apache was first deployed to Afghanistan in April 2006. The current operational tour length for Apache crews is six months, which is generally split into two three-month deployments separated by a three month gap. As of May 2008, operational tours for Apache crews will last for four uninterrupted months.

Armed Forces: Divorce

Patrick Mercer: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what estimate he has made of the number of armed forces marriages that broke down in each year since 2001; and what support his Department provides for armed forces marriages in circumstances where services personnel are absent for long periods of time on training activities or deployment.

Derek Twigg: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 19 February 2007,  Official Report, column 202W, to the hon. Member for Forest of Dean (Mr. Harper).
	The MOD places a very high priority on the welfare of its service personnel and their families. There are a range of measures in place designed to support marriages for all service personnel and their families including the provision of service family accommodation, and a range of pastoral and welfare services where service families can go for advice and support at all times. This includes close links with organisations such as RELATE.
	Support to armed forces personnel deployed away from their home base is primarily through the Chain of Command, supported by service religious leaders and medical staff where appropriate. Service welfare staff remain available in home base locations to support families during deployments of service personnel.
	Additional support for those on operational deployments and certain overseas exercises include briefings before and during deployment, free telephone calls, 'e-blueys' and internet access to facilitate communication, extra travel allowances available to dependants and close family members and welfare grants to assist parent units to fund group welfare activities and facilities. Local commanders retain discretion to return service personnel from theatre for welfare reasons. When service personnel return from operations they receive post operational leave (20 days for a six-month tour), which enables them to spend quality time with their families and friends.

Armed Forces: Health Services

Paul Beresford: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what contribution the Government have made to the appeal to build a new gym and fitness pool for injured military personnel at the Headley Court Defence Medical Rehabilitation Centre in Mole Valley.

Derek Twigg: A new charity, Help for Heroes, with the support of a local business Arkenis, advised us in the summer of their plans to launch an appeal for funds to build a new rehabilitation complex, including a gym and swimming pool, at the Defence Medical Rehabilitation Centre, Headley Court. The project would provide a very welcome enhancement of existing facilities, which currently include five gyms and a hydrotherapy pool. We are working closely with the charity to establish how we can best blend their generous offer of assistance with existing plans for improving facilities at Headley Court, a site which is itself owned by a charitable trust. This is yet another example of the third sector compliementing the work of the public sector in providing support to our people by working together.

Armed Forces: Hospitals

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many and what percentage of UK-based military hospitals have been closed since 2001.

Derek Twigg: A review of the UK's military hospitals as part of the 1994 Defence costs study confirmed that they were no longer able to provide the volume and range of cases essential to train our medical personnel in the advancing medical skills needed for their essential operational roles. The majority of the hospitals were closed during the 1990s, with the training needs of Defence Medical Services personnel being managed through Ministry of Defence hospital units (MDHUs) established within NHS hospitals at Derriford, Frimley Park, Peterborough, Portsmouth, Northallerton, and at the Royal Centre for Defence Medicine (RCDM) at University Hospital Birmingham Foundation Trust (UHBFT).
	It was originally intended to retain the Royal Hospital Haslar, Gosport, as the tri-service core hospital, primarily to train military medical personnel for their operational role. But the volume and range of cases did not occur, and in December 1998 the Government announced their decision to phase out Haslar and consolidate training within the NHS, building on the establishment of the MDHUs.
	Clinical management of Haslar passed to the Portsmouth Hospitals NHS Trust in 2001, and it has not been a military hospital as such since that time. We continued to be responsible for the management of the site until March 2007, when this responsibility also passed to the trust. It is still owned by the MOD and will continue to function, under a partnership arrangement with the NHS Portsmouth Hospitals Trust, until late 2009 when clinical services, along with NHS and some military staff, will transfer to the redeveloped Queen Alexandra Hospital in Cosham, Portsmouth.
	The Duchess of Kent's Psychiatric Hospital at Catterick, closed in December 2003, with subsequent inpatient mental health care for service personnel being provided by a contract with the Priory Group.
	While not a full-scale military hospital, the Duke of Connaught Unit, located in the grounds of Musgrave Park Hospital, Belfast, provides a restricted range of inpatient secondary care to military patients, and Defence Medical Services nurses and health care assistants work at the unit.

Armed Forces: Housing

Nick Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many properties are rented as substitute service family accommodation and substitute single living accommodation in each region; and at what cost.

Derek Twigg: MOD is required to accommodate entitled personnel within 10 miles of their duty station (or 20 miles with permission of their service commander). Where no suitable service family accommodation (SFA) can be found, substitute SFA is offered within the appropriate distance from a duty station.
	Substitute single service accommodation (SSSA) is granted to entitled personnel requiring single accommodation when single living accommodation (SLA) is not available at or close to an individual's place of work.
	The following tables list all Substitute SFA and SSSA together with the monthly rent payable.
	
		
			  SSFA 
			  Location  Count  Sum of rent ( pcm) 
			 Aberdeen 4 4,900 
			 Birmingham 113 109,162 
			 Bath 15 20,954 
			 Blackburn 3 2,725 
			 Bournemouth 13 14,759 
			 Bolton 2 1,950 
			 Brighton 1 1,995 
			 Bristol 4 4,326 
			 Carlisle 4 2,436 
			 Cambridge 30 33,057 
			 Cardiff 5 4,367 
			 Chester 3 2,425 
			 Chelmsford 12 11,930 
			 Colchester 5 5,841 
			 Canterbury 12 12,181 
			 Coventry 17 15,115 
			 Dundee 2 2,200 
			 Derby 3 2,388 
			 Durham 5 3,411 
			 Darlington 5 3,515 
			 Doncaster 5 3,395 
			 Dorchester 17 14,326 
			 Dudley 2 1,570 
			 London EC 1 1,100 
			 Edinburgh 1 695 
			 Exeter 14 11,158 
			 Falkirk 7 6,473 
			 Blackpool 1 1,025 
			 Glasgow 3 4,032 
			 Gloucester 15 16,558 
			 Guilford, Surrey 1 1,825 
			 Harrow Middlesex 3 7,500 
			 Huddersfield 1 675 
			 Hemel Hempstead 52 88,898 
			 Hereford 81 57,512 
			 Hull 6 3,685 
			 Halifax, West Yorkshire 1 650 
			 Ipswich 19 18,432 
			 Kilmarnock 2 1,825 
			 Kingston-upon-Thames 3 6,975 
			 Liverpool 15 14,284 
			 Lancaster 9 7,072 
			 Llandrindod Wells 3 2,118 
			 Leicester 2 1,675 
			 Llandudno 14 9,494 
			 Leeds 8 6,445 
			 Luton 3 5,395 
			 Manchester 4 3,690 
			 Medway 43 33,975 
			 Milton Keynes 13 14,109 
			 Newcastle upon Tyne 18 17,949 
			 Nottingham 23 16,867 
			 Newport 12 10,249 
			 Norwich 2 2,350 
			 London NW 1 1,820 
			 Oldham 5 3,855 
			 Oxford 104 114,941 
			 Paisley 1 925 
			 Peterborough 5 6,122 
			 Plymouth 52 37,850 
			 Portsmouth 26 35,490 
			 Preston 10 7,357 
			 Reading 3 5,555 
			 Redhill 2 2,820 
			 Sheffield 6 4,104 
			 Swansea 11 7,640 
			 London SE 2 4,682 
			 Stevenage 3 3,967 
			 Stockport 6 6,245 
			 Slough 22 35,906 
			 Swindon 59 50,336 
			 Southampton 54 57,867 
			 Salisbury 64 86,084 
			 Sunderland 3 2,275 
			 Stoke-on-Trent 1 675 
			 London SW 6 14,194 
			 Shrewsbury 3 3,720 
			 Taunton 5 4,889 
			 Galashiels 2 1,120 
			 Telford, Salop 1 1,500 
			 Tunbridge Wells 5 7,083 
			 Torquay 3 2,650 
			 Truro, Cornwall 38 31,217 
			 Cleveland 13 10,119 
			 Twickenham 5 15,775 
			 Uxbridge 1 2,400 
			 London W 1 2,433 
			 Warrington 11 8,822 
			 Watford 1 1,800 
			 Wakefield 7 4,605 
			 Wigan, Lancashire 2 1,625 
			 Worcester 5 5,009 
			 Walsall 2 2,319 
			 Wolverhampton 2 1,520 
			 York 8 5,945 
			 Shetland 1 520 
		
	
	
		
			  SSSA 
			  Location  Count  Sum of rent ( pcm) 
			 Aberdeen 28 16,311 
			 St. Albans 1 950 
			 Birmingham 228 176,519 
			 Bath 142 113,207 
			 Blackburn 4 2,500 
			 Bradford 4 2,505 
			 Bournemouth 5 3,730 
			 Bolton 9 6,410 
			 Brighton 13 10,565 
			 Bromley 8 8,687 
			 Bristol 440 343,391 
			 Carlisle 13 7,000 
			 Cambridge 20 16,783 
			 Cardiff 54 31,980 
			 Chester 24 16,835 
			 Chelmsford 3 2,175 
			 Colchester 17 14,350 
			 Croydon 14 11,318 
			 Canterbury 23 17,340 
			 Coventry 25 17,885 
			 Crewe 2 1,195 
			 Dartford 3 2,475 
			 Dundee 18 10,555 
			 Derby 2 1,425 
			 Dumfries 5 2,500 
			 Durham 4 2,110 
			 Darlington 115 69,951 
			 Doncaster 6 3,235 
			 Dorchester 5 3,395 
			 Dudley 2 1,344 
			 London E 244 308,256 
			 London EC 8 9,891 
			 Edinburgh 51 35,299 
			 Enfield 3 2,196 
			 Exeter 22 17,374 
			 Falkirk 21 11,503 
			 Blackpool 60 37,278 
			 Glasgow 219 150,180 
			 Gloucester 15 10,788 
			 Guilford, Surrey 69 57,545 
			 Harrow Middlesex 7 6,814 
			 Huddersfield 7 3,794 
			 Harrogate 13 8,945 
			 Hemel Hempstead 3 2,330 
			 Hereford 68 53,818 
			 Hebrides 1 425 
			 Hull 19 10,312 
			 Halifax, West Yorkshire 3 1,710 
			 Ilford 6 5,775 
			 Ipswich 95 92,781 
			 Inverness 20 11,260 
			 Kilmarnock 38 23,785 
			 Kingston-upon-Thames 8 8,125 
			 Kirkwall 1 525 
			 Kirkcaldy 11 6,287 
			 Liverpool 86 50,760 
			 Lancaster 119 75,421 
			 Llandrindod Wells 38 22,007 
			 Leicester 22 14,010 
			 Llandudno 35 22,190 
			 Lincoln 5 3,835 
			 Leeds 28 17,011 
			 Luton 7 4,425 
			 Manchester 43 27,235 
			 Medway 8 5,719 
			 Milton Keynes 23 25,210 
			 Motherwell 4 2,340 
			 London N 31 35,124 
			 Newcastle upon Tyne 88 54,096 
			 Nottingham 27 15,944 
			 Northampton 1 625 
			 Newport 38 24,581 
			 Norwich 5 3,664 
			 London NW 59 85,210 
			 Oldham 4 2,449 
			 Oxford 47 50,953 
			 Paisley 6 3,345 
			 Peterborough 9 7,715 
			 Perth 15 8,688 
			 Plymouth 9 8,335 
			 Portsmouth 9 6,532 
			 Preston 69 43,956 
			 Reading 9 7,618 
			 Redhill 6 4,513 
			 Romford 15 12,830 
			 Sheffield 31 19,966 
			 Swansea 15 9,831 
			 London SE 202 234,305 
			 Stockport 4 2,470 
			 Slough 15 17,634 
			 Sutton 1 700 
			 Swindon 80 59,540 
			 Southampton 20 14,366 
			 Salisbury 62 48,644 
			 Sunderland 2 1,070 
			 Southend-on-Sea 4 2,829 
			 Stoke-on-Trent 19 12,678 
			 London SW 474 615,894 
			 Shrewsbury 6 4,145 
			 Taunton 27 16,768 
			 Galashiels 3 1,572 
			 Telford, Salop 1 775 
			 Tunbridge Wells 40 32,647 
			 Torquay 1 625 
			 Truro, Cornwall 15 10,415 
			 Cleveland 17 10,018 
			 Twickenham 60 62,486 
			 London W 83 95,021 
			 Warrington 15 8,486 
			 London WC 1 1,000 
			 Watford 2 1,830 
			 Wakefield 20 12,743 
			 Wigan, Lancashire 5 2,871 
			 Worcester 13 9,371 
			 Walsall 4 2,572 
			 Wolverhampton 4 2,405 
			 York 32 19,958

Armed Forces: Housing

Patrick Mercer: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assistance is available to non-forces spouses to find suitable alternative accommodation following the breakdown of armed forces marriages.

Derek Twigg: Every effort is made by the services to effect a reconciliation, with the local service commander able to authorise a 'cooling off' period of up to three months. During this time, it is usual for the service person to move into single living accommodation, leaving the other party in the services family accommodation (SFA).
	After the 'cooling off' period or when it becomes clear that no reconciliation is possible, the local service authorities are required to inform the Housing Information Centre (HIC) of the change in circumstance. The HIC will then issue a 93-day Notice to Vacate for the party who remains in the property, and also a 'Certificate of Cessation of Entitlement to Occupy Service Families Accommodation' that will assist the family to seek social housing from their local authority on expiry of the 'notice to vacate' their SFA. However, no one will be evicted from SFA until alternative accommodation has been found.
	Within the armed forces, further advice for both partners with regards to finding new accommodation is available from the Joint Services Housing Advice Office (JSHAO). In addition to providing advice, the JSHAO operates a nomination scheme with a number of housing associations in England and Wales that allow applicants to apply for social housing in areas in which they wish to reside.

Armed Forces: Housing

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence with reference to the answer of 16 October 2007,  Official Report, column 937W, on armed forces housing, what plans he has for accommodation disposal in each of the next three years; and how much will be generated from each such disposal.

Derek Twigg: The majority of service families accommodation (SFA) in England and Wales is leased from Annington Homes Ltd. and properties no longer required for defence purposes are returned to the company. Although no receipt accrues to the Ministry of Defence (MOD) in respect of properties returned, there are savings in rent, contributions in lieu of council tax and maintenance.
	In Scotland and Northern Ireland, surplus SFA are sold on the open market. We currently have plans to dispose of 600 properties in Scotland and 800 in Northern Ireland over the next three years.
	Overseas, the majority of SFA are returned to the host government when no longer needed, but SFA on permanent joint operations bases are owned by the MOD. When they are no longer required, the future of these properties is determined by the MOD.
	In respect of single living (barrack) accommodation (SLA), this is usually within the wire of a service establishment and the disposal normally forms part of the disposal of the wider site. Receipts cannot, therefore, be estimated specifically for SLA.
	As part of the 2007 comprehensive spending review, the Department agreed overall defence estate disposal targets (including accommodation) as follows:
	
		
			million 
			 2007-08 403 
			 2008-09 176 
			 2009-10 310 
			 2010-11 296 
		
	
	It is not possible to separate out the accommodation element of these targets. Receipts from house sales will depend on market conditions at the time of sale, the area and the type of property. To release any valuations we may have carried out ahead of the sale would, in any case, be likely to influence the market and these are thus regarded as commercially confidential until the sale is complete.

Armed Forces: Manpower

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what percentage of each pinch point trade is exceeding the harmony guidelines.

Derek Twigg: I refer the hon. Member to my answer of 29 October 2007,  Official Report, column 942W. There are no updated statistics since that answer was given.

Armed Forces: Recruitment and Retention

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what steps he is taking to improve recruitment and retention in the armed forces.

Derek Twigg: All three Services undertake numerous and varied initiatives, both at national and local level, aimed at sustaining and increasing the level of recruitment to the armed forces. Included among the many current initiatives are:
	The use of multi-media advertising campaigns, including digital media;
	Services' presentation teams' attendance at schools, careers fairs and graduate recruitment seminars, road shows, exhibitions, youth clubs and organisations;
	Specialist teams to attract doctors, dentists, nurses, lawyers and padres by promoting Service careers within specialist recruitment shows and through professional bodies;
	Work experience placements within Service establishments;
	Personal development courses and Look at Life Courses for young people who express an interest in the armed forces;
	Taster day visits to HM ships and service establishments;
	A dedicated careers website for each of the Services complete with a dedicated information support call centre;
	An Army 'on-line' recruiting office, with plans for this to be replicated by the other Services;
	Specialist ethnic minority recruiting and diversity action teams aimed at promoting armed forces careers among the UK's ethnic minority and faith communities;
	A partnership with Jobcentre Plus, making use of its network (totalling in excess of 1,100) of local outlets;
	Financial incentives, for example: Golden Hellios, for those who have studied specific vocational subjects to a set level; and re-joining bounties to certain trades.
	Turning to retention; in the armed forces as a whole, retention rates are broadly stable and we have seen no sudden outflow of personnel. However, there are areas where exit rates remain too high. These areas are continuously monitored closely and focused action taken to continue to improve recruitment and retention. We continue to restructure our forces so that they can best meet operational demands. Retention measures such as commitment bonuses, re-engagement packages, financial retention initiatives and initiatives to improve work/life balance and working conditions at the front line, continue to be used with the aim of discouraging outflow. There are a number of specific initiatives currently being undertaken such as the strategic remuneration review and the defence living accommodation strategy which will contribute towards this effort. In addition, we have made improvements to travel allowances to permit personnel to get home more easily and we continue to add to the deployment welfare package, that provides additional support to people deployed on operations and their families. We have also introduced a council tax rebate for serving personnel deployed on designated operations while also promoting measures such as work/life balance and career breaks to improve the day-to-day lives of Service personnel and their families.
	The Services are also currently examining further non-financial retention measures including, in the near term, continuance of service, restructuring of trades to relieve pinch points, and being more flexible on what rank is required for a given post. Longer term work is also being carried out into the potential for easier movement between regular and reserve service, more flexible employment generally, assistance with house purchase, and any opportunities for stability a more regionalised Service might offer.

Armed Forces: Training

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many training areas in the United Kingdom place restrictions on training due to environmental concerns.

Derek Twigg: The MOD has both self imposed as well as legal restrictions placed upon training on all its training areas. Dependent upon the size, location and type of training area these restrictions may be simply to meet basic legal requirements and good practice standards, or they could be significant limitations imposed as a result of conservation designations or planning permissions. This ensures the long term sustainability of the estate.

Armed Services Capacity

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the answer of 3 December 2007,  Official Report, column 568, on armed services capacity, if he will place in the Library a copy of the assumptions and methodology used to estimate the cost of three infantry battalions at 700 million; and if he will make a statement.

Bob Ainsworth: While the costs of an infantry battalion are not generally held centrally (as these figures are extensive and spread over a wide variety of budgets), a set of general assumptions on which to base an illustrative costing of adding three infantry battalions has been developed.
	These costings are dependent on the inter-relationship of a range of complex factors. Each of the assumptions that have been made is regarded as the most reasonable for indicative costing. Costs would break down broadly into two categories: the initial start-up and capital investment costs, and the annual running costs.
	Changes to these assumptions (particularly on the unit role or accommodation requirements) could result in significant changes to the overall total.
	The following assumptions informed the costing:
	Three light role infantry battalions, based in the UK, not held at high readiness and consisting of 625 personnel per battalion;
	Three new barracks (furnished and equipped to standard). It is assumed that there are no existing empty barracks that are fit for purpose in which to accommodate the battalions, and co-location on a single site is unlikely;
	The requirement for new single living accommodation (furnished and equipped to standard) (400 SLAs per battalion);
	The requirement for new service family accommodation (furnished and equipped to standard) (225 SFAs per battalion);
	Build is on land currently owned by MOD (therefore, there is no cost assumed for any requirement to purchase land);
	There are no appreciable costs to gain planning permission or prepare the sites and access to them;
	That over the period of implementation, this will not materially change the totality of Defences demand for personal clothing and equipment;
	There is no impact on the Equipment Customer Capability Programme in that existing and programmed equipments, vehicles and communication items are whole fleet managed;
	Initial recruitment costs are based on a total of 2,802 enlistments required to generate a throughput of 1,875;
	Basic and collective training costs(1);
	Annual barrack running costs estimated at 10 per cent. of cost of new build;
	Annual salary costs (pay, national insurance and pensions) based on salaries within a rank structure of a light role infantry battalion;
	No additional cost is assumed for allowances such as operational, separation and education allowances;
	No other running cost is assumed (e.g. annual recruitment and retention and other costs);
	No depreciation and cost of capital charges are assumed;
	Figures quoted are at 2007-08 prices.
	Based on these assumptions, the following costs were derived:
	
		
			million 
			  Initial start-up costs (estimated)  
			 Cost of new barracks (furnished and equipped to standard, including approximately 400 SLA per battalion) (150 million x 3) 450 
			 Cost of building additional 225 (x 3) SFA (estimated at 200,000 per SFA) 135 
			 Recruitment costs (given a recruit pass rate of only 67 per cent., a total of 2,802 enlistments are required to generate a throughput of 1,875 (625 personnel per battalion) at a cost of 12,000(2) per enlistment 34 
			 Basic training costs (29,000 per person) 54 
			 Total 673 
			   
			  Annual costs (estimated)  
			 Annual barrack running costs (estimated at 10 per cent. of cost x 3) 45 
			 Collective training costs (1 million per battalion) 3 
			 Annual salary costs (19 million x 3) 57 
			 Total 105 
			   
			 Overall total 778 
			 (1) The battalions will conduct the following collective training (CT): CT levels 1 and 2individual and sub unit training; CT level 3unit level trainingin this context it is assumed that the battalions will conduct exercises Druids Dance and Wessex Warrior. For the purposes of this exercise CT 4/5 training has been excluded (the all arms overseas training exercise in Kenya) on the assumption that there would be no increase in the incident of currently funded exercises; the key cost drivers are ammunition costs. T and S costs have been estimated as have clothing and textile costs based on usage for units in 1 (UK) Division. No account has been taken of longer separation allowance costs for training activities. (2) Costs are calculated on a full cost basis and therefore contain an element of overhead as well as fixed and variable costs.

Army: Deployment

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether there are plans to change the length of operational tours for the Army.

Bob Ainsworth: There are no plans to change the standard six-month tour of duty for Army units. A small number of individuals (reviewed on a case by case basis) undertake longer tours for purposes of continuity and relationship building.

Army: Recruitment

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the target number was of recruits to the Army in each month in 2007, broken down by corps; and how many were recruited in each month.

Derek Twigg: Recruiting targets are set against an annual, not monthly, requirement across financial years. Officers are not recruited against Arm or Corps targets but against a whole Army requirement. The annual enlistment targets for soldiers only are shown as follows, together with the figures actually achieved.
	
		
			   Financial year 
			   2006-07  2007-08 
			  Arm or Corps  Enlistment achievement  Annual target  Enlistment achievement to 31 October  Annual target 
			 Household Cavalry 170 170 80 170 
			 Royal Armoured Corps 630 630 360 680 
			 Royal Artillery 970 1,030 690 1,020 
			 Royal Engineers 1,340 1,370 760 1,480 
			 Royal Signals 750 870 320 880 
			 Army Air Corps 210 190 150 200 
			 Royal Logistics Corps 2,100 2,410 930 2,080 
			 Army Medical Services 430 450 250 460 
			 Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers 1,290 1,060 710 1,340 
			 Adjutant-General's Corps 260 400 190 370 
			 Intelligence Corps 160 160 50 110 
			 Corps of Army Music 40 70 30 70 
			 Infantry 4,310 4,260 2,570 4,940 
		
	
	Statistics have been rounded to the nearest 10, numbers ending in five have been rounded to the nearest multiple of 20 to prevent systematic bias.

AWE Burghfield

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when the current risk assessment at AWE Burghfield was adopted; and what plans there are to revise it.

Bob Ainsworth: AWE plc implemented a revised risk assessment for operations at Burghfield in September 2007. This replaced the previous risk assessment, which had been adopted in 2002. Any further reviews will be undertaken in consultation with the Nuclear Installations Inspectorate.

Cumbria

Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether his Department plans to move any of its offices to Westmorland and Lonsdale constituency.

Derek Twigg: There are no such plans.

Defence Equipment and Support Organisation: Manpower

Annette Brooke: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many people were employed by the Ministry of Defence in acquisition roles with the Defence Equipment and Support Organisation in each of the last three years.

Bob Ainsworth: holding answer 11 December 2007
	Defence Equipment and Support (DE and S) was formed on 2 April 2007 as a result of the merger of the Defence Procurement Agency and the Defence Logistics Organisation. At the time of the merger, the total staff employed in the new organisation was 27,512 all of whom were directly or indirectly contributing to the defence acquisition process.

Defence Medical Services: Manpower

Nick Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  what the  (a) operational requirement and  (b) strength is of medical personnel treating head injuries in Operation Herrick and Operation Telic;
	(2)  how many neurosurgeons are currently deployed in British forward field hospitals in  (a) Iraq and  (b) Afghanistan;
	(3)  what the Defence Medical Services policy is on medical manning and capabilities required for the treatment of head injured patients.

Derek Twigg: All Defence Medical Services (DMS) personnel engaged in the treatment of head injured patients, both on operations and in NHS hospitals when not deployed, are trained to NHS clinical standards, with the addition of specific training in military surgical skills.
	In my written ministerial statement of 27 March 2007,  Official Report, columns 74-75WS, I announced that the MOD had endorsed a new DMS manpower requirement specifying the number of uniformed regular DMS personnel required to support operations, provide peacetime health care and allow for continued training and the provision of headquarter staff during deployment.
	The UK field hospital deployed on Operation Herrick has its full complement of UK specialist medical personnel required for treating serious head injuries, namely one neurosurgeon, one anaesthetist and two intensive treatment unit nurses.
	Medical support for UK casualties suffering serious head injuries on Operation Telic is provided by a multinational team based in a US facility at Balad. Further specialised medical treatment is available in the region.
	For both operational theatres, once the condition of the patient has been stabilised, they will be airlifted back to the UK.

Defence: Planning

Julian Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether he intends to review the Defence Planning Assumptions; and if he will make a statement.

Des Browne: The Defence Planning Assumptions are routinely reviewed as part of the Department's strategic planning cycle. This work is under way and will be completed in 2008.

Defence: Procurement

Douglas Carswell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many  (a) contract amendments and  (b) post design services contracts were awarded by his Department post main gate for each equipment acquisition programme worth over 100 million audited by the National Audit Office and reported on in major projects reports published since 2001; and what their value was expressed as a percentage of the contract price agreed at main gate.

Bob Ainsworth: The information requested is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Defence: Procurement

Julian Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the average rate of inflation was for major defence procurement projects in each of the last five years.

Bob Ainsworth: holding answer 10 December 2007
	The Ministry of Defence does not produce measures of inflation by major procurement project.
	Work is under way to develop an index which will help to provide an aggregate measure of defence equipment inflation.

Departmental Expenditure

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what his Department's total expenditure was on fees for professional services, as listed in his Department's resource account code hierarchy, in near cash terms, in each financial year since 2000-01.

Bob Ainsworth: The total resource costs of the expenditure item are set out in the following table:
	
		
			million 
			 2000-01 453.2 
			 2001-02 556.4 
			 2002-03 508.5 
			 2003-04 581.7 
			 2004-05 532.2 
			 2005-06 527.1 
			 2006-07 459.0 
		
	
	Near cash expenditure is not separately identified in the final resource accounts or the centrally held supporting records. Total resource costs have therefore been provided; however it is unlikely that there are any non cash costs attributed to the expenditure item which would result in the near cash expenditure being different from the resource expenditure.

Departmental Foreign Workers

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many  (a) EU foreign nationals and  (b) non EU foreign nationals are employed by his Department.

Derek Twigg: The following table shows the number of UK regular armed forces personnel in each service who are British, EU foreign nationals, non EU foreign nationals and the number of personnel whose nationality is not centrally recorded.
	MOD civilian foreign nationals cannot be broken down into EU/non EU nationalities, as all foreign nationalities are recorded as 'Other' in personnel administration systems.
	
		
			  Nationality  Naval Service( 1)  Army( 2)  RAF( 1) 
			 British 37,540 99,230 44,930 
			 EU foreign nationals 60 220 30 
			 Non-EU foreign nationals 540 6,750 50 
			 Not centrally recorded 710 0 370 
			 (1) As at 1 April 2007.  (2) Due to ongoing data validation from a new personnel administration system, Army figures are not available at 1 April 2007. Figures are therefore shown as at 1 March 2007.   Note:  All figures have been rounded to the nearest 10. Numbers ending in five have been rounded to the nearest 20 to prevent systematic bias.

Departmental Internet

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the cost was of maintaining his Department's daily blog for each of the last six months.

Derek Twigg: The internet hosting cost of the Defence News blog (www.blogs.mod.uk) has been 49.95 per month for each of the last six months. There have been no additional staff costs.

Departmental Marketing

Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will place in the Library a copy of the guidelines issued to staff maintaining his Department's and its agencies' corporate identity; and what the estimated annual cost is of  (a) producing and  (b) complying with such guidelines.

Derek Twigg: Disks containing the corporate identity guidelines for the Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force will be placed in the Library of the House; those for the Department of State and the British Army are under development, and will be added in early 2008.
	From 29 November 2006 to 28 November 2007 the Ministry of Defence Directorate of Public Relations spent 46,680 on producing corporate identity guidelines for the Army. The estimated annual cost of complying with these guidelines is nil.
	Accurate information on how much Defence Agencies, Top Level Budget areas, Trading Funds, Joint Headquarters, single Service Commands and military units may have spent on producing and complying with corporate identity guidelines is not held centrally, and could be provided only at a disproportionate cost.

Departmental Marketing

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what his Department's total expenditure was on public relations as listed in his Department's resource account code hierarchy, in near cash terms, in each financial year since 2000-01.

Bob Ainsworth: The total resource costs against this resource account code are set out in the following table:
	
		
			  Financial year  Publicity relations  ( million) 
			 2000-01 17.8 
			 2001-02 19.4 
			 2002-03 16.6 
			 2003-04 23.5 
			 2004-05 28.5 
			 2005-06 21.8 
			 2006-07 22.5 
		
	
	Near cash expenditure is not separately identified in the final resource accounts or the centrally held supporting records. Total resource costs have therefore been provided; however it is unlikely that there are any non cash costs attributed to the expenditure items which would result in the near cash expenditure being different from the resource expenditure.

Departmental Parliamentary Questions

Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many staff work in his Department's parliamentary branch; and what proportion of their time is spent on dealing with  (a) parliamentary questions and  (b) correspondence from hon. Members and Peers.

Derek Twigg: A total of 19 people work in the MOD parliamentary branch. 17 people's primary responsibility is to work on parliamentary questions or ministerial correspondence. Some posts include other duties such as assisting Ministers with their other responsibilities to Parliament.
	The main role of the parliamentary branch is to process the Department's parliamentary business. Advice to Ministers on responding to parliamentary business is prepared by the relevant subject matter experts across the Ministry of Defence, both Service personnel and civilians, who number several hundreds.

Departmental Pay

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the change in his Department's civilian salaries was measured against retail price index inflation in each financial year since 2001-02.

Bob Ainsworth: The percentage change year on year and the change in the Retail Prices Index year on year were as follows:
	
		
			  Percentage 
			   Change in the average salary  Change in RPI 
			 2002-03 3.8 2.1 
			 2003-04 5.8 2.8 
			 2004-05 1.5 3.1 
			 2005-06 3.7 2.6 
			 2006-07 5.1 3.7 
			  Note:  The data include permanent and casual personnel employed by the Department excluding personnel in trading funds. 
		
	
	The percentage changes are reported to one decimal place.
	The average salary per financial year from 2001-02 for civilian employees has been calculated using (i) the number of full time equivalent civilian employees and (ii) the expenditure recorded in the Department's accounts for civilian salaries and wages. These figures include some allowances, such as overseas allowances and London weighting, which are included with pay.

Departmental Property

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what his Department's accommodation budget allocation is for  (a) 2007-08,  (b) 2008-09,  (c) 2009-10 and  (d) 2010-11.

Derek Twigg: The MOD does not have a central budget for housing and other living accommodation. Expenditure is spread over the Department's top level budget (TLB) infrastructure, although a significant proportion is administered by the Defence Estates TLB. The MOD is forecasting to spend over 800 million on housing and other living accommodation for 2007-08. This sum includes investment, maintenance and other running costs, such as rental payments and contributions in lieu of council tax.
	Budgets for future years have not yet been set following the conclusion of the comprehensive spending review.

Departmental Responsibilities

Alan Duncan: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many regulations his Department has  (a) made and  (b) revoked in the last 12 months.

Derek Twigg: The Department has made 35 statutory instruments since 1 October 2006. The information requested about the number of instruments which have been revoked in the period could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Departmental Training

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the  (a) dates,  (b) locations and  (c) costs were of the last four awaydays of his Department's Departmental Board.

Derek Twigg: The Defence Management Board normally holds awayday meetings twice a year at Defence locations, to review in an informal setting strategic issues facing the Department. The locations and net additional costs of the last four awaydays are set out in the following table:
	
		
			   Location  Cost () 
			 6 April 2006 RAF Museum, Hendon 734 
			 4 to 5 October 2006 Joint Services Command and Staff College (JSCSC), Shrivenham, Wiltshire 1,555 
			 28 to 29 March 2007 Officers Mess, Worthy Down Station, Winchester 651 
			 10 to 11 October 2007 HMS ALBION (Greenwich) and MOD Main Building 366 
			 Total  3,306

Duke of Connaught Medical Unit

Jeffrey M Donaldson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether he plans to upgrade the role of the Duke of Connaught Medical Unit in Belfast; and if he will make a statement.

Derek Twigg: There are no current plans to upgrade the role of the Duke of Connaught Medical Unit in Belfast.

Ex-servicemen: Chelmsford

Simon Burns: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many people in  (a) West Chelmsford constituency and  (b) Chelmsford local authority area have received veteran's badges.

Derek Twigg: holding answer 11 December 2007
	The information is not held in the format requested and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
	However, 612 veterans badges have been issued to individuals who have included Chelmsford in their address.

Ex-servicemen: Military Decorations

Steve Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many Veterans' Badges have been issued by the Veterans Agency; what estimate he has made of the number of people who are entitled to receive such badges; what plans he has for further publicity relating to the badges; and if he will make a statement.

Derek Twigg: The Veterans Policy Unit administered HM armed forces veterans badges from May 2004 until 17 April 2005. During this period 82,000 badges were issued. Since 18 April 2005 the Service Personnel and Veterans Agency have been responsible for the badge administration and have issued 461,212.
	Every HM armed forces veteran, approximately 4.8 million, is entitled to the HM armed forces badge. The eligibility to apply for the HM armed forces veteran's badge and UK merchant seafarers veteran's badge is advertised on the service personnel and Veterans Agency website:
	www.veteransagency.mod.uk
	It has also been publicised through Government and ex-service organisation publications, local and national press articles and through badge-presentation ceremonies. Opportunities to provide further publicity for the scheme are continually sought. Currently badge applications have been invited from personnel who served prior to 31 December 1994 and an announcement of the next extension of eligibility to apply for the badges will be made in the near future, which will bring future publicity.

Firing Ranges: Dartmoor National Park

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the status is of the licence his Department has applied for to the Dartmoor National Park Authority to use Dartmoor for military training from 2012; and if he will make a statement.

Derek Twigg: The Ministry of Defence (MOD) does not require a licence from Dartmoor National Park Authority in order to use Dartmoor for military training. However, the MOD does hold licences to train on privately owned land within the Dartmoor national park, this includes a licence granted by the Duchy of Cornwall which expires in 2012. We are currently undertaking an environmental appraisal in order to inform prospective renegotiation.

Fisheries: Navy

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the answers of 26 November 2007,  Official Report, columns 39-41W, on fisheries: Navy, 
	(1)  for what reasons the recall of the river class offshore patrol vessels between 15 and 19 June 2007 due to a davit failure was not classified as lost patrol days; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  what the circumstances were of the davit failure that resulted in the three river class offshore patrol vessels being recalled; and if he will make a statement.

Bob Ainsworth: Structural deformation of HMS Mersey's davit occurred during routine safety testing during a planned maintenance period in June 2007. In consultation with all the regulatory authorities it was concluded that a structural modification was required to ensure continued safe operation of the davits on all three vessels. The modification was completed and all three vessels were able to resume their operational duty within seven days. No further problems have been experienced.
	The programmed fishery patrol days not undertaken as a result of this maintenance period were rescheduled and the number of patrol days agreed in the contract between the MOD and DEFRA will be achieved.

Frigates

Julian Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the future of the remaining Type 22 frigates.

Bob Ainsworth: On present plans, which are routinely reviewed, the Type 22 frigates will begin to leave service around the middle of the next decade. HMS Cornwall will be withdrawn in 2015, followed by HMS Campbeltown and HMS Cumberland in 2017, then finally HMS Chatham in 2018.

Iraq: Overseas Aid

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence with reference to the answer of 9 October 2007,  Official Report, columns 437-8W, on Iraq: overseas aid; how much of the 744 million the Government have allocated to Iraq came from his Department.

Des Browne: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to him by my hon. Friend the Secretary of State for International Development (Mr. Malik) on 13 December 2007,  Official Report, column 840W.

Iraq: Peacekeeping Operations

Nick Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the average length of time to evacuate soldiers with brain injuries to neurosurgical facilities is in  (a) Iraq and  (b) Afghanistan.

Derek Twigg: In both Iraq and Afghanistan, for all serious operational injuries that require treatment in a field hospital, our doctrine is to provide emergency battlefield care within the first hour after wounding, andfor those requiring further treatmentwithin two hours to have transported every casualty to a UK or coalition field hospital.
	In Iraq, we routinely adhere to this 'two-hour to surgery' limit, although in Afghanistan, where the distances can be significantly greater, we may, if appropriate, deploy a medical emergency response team (MERT) directly to the casualty, enabling advanced medical care to be provided at the point of wounding. An analysis of MERT timelines in Afghanistan over a 13-month period from May 2006 to June 2007 showed that the median time from injury to handover at the field hospital emergency department for all UK military casualties requiring emergency care and life-saving surgery was one hour 39 minutes.
	On arrival at the field hospital, the clinical condition of the casualty will be assessed by the surgical team, and a decision made as to the most appropriate course of action. This could include provision of immediate surgery in the field hospital; aeromedical evacuation casualty to the UK following stabilisation of their condition; or transfer to another coalition field hospital facility.
	In Iraq, the nearest specialist neurosurgical facilities are available at the US medical facilities at the Balad airbase. If it is assessed that this is the most appropriate course of action, UK casualties may be transferred there from the UK field hospital at Basrah. The average transfer time to Balad is one hour 20 minutes by fixed-wing aircraft or three hours by helicopter.
	In Afghanistan, neurosurgical facilities are currently available in the UK role 2 (enhanced) field hospital at Camp Bastion, consisting of one neurosurgeon, one anaesthetist and two intensive treatment unit nurses.
	For both operational theatres, once the condition of the patient has been stabilised, they will be airlifted back to the UK.

Iraq: Peacekeeping Operations

Nick Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what capability there is for direct communication between military medical units and field hospitals in  (a) Iraq and  (b) Afghanistan.

Derek Twigg: In Iraq, direct voice communication is available between all fixed medical treatment facilities (MTFs) and the UK's role 2 (enhanced) field hospital, located at the contingency operating base, Basrah. Electronic text communication is also available through MOD's defence information infrastructure (DII).
	In Afghanistan, all MTFs have direct voice communications with the role 2 (enhanced) field hospital at Camp Bastion (the UK military base in Helmand Province) through either fixed or satellite communication systems. Electronic text communications facilities are available at principal operating bases.

Iraq: Peacekeeping Operations

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what reports his Department has produced since 2003 on the effects combat operations in Iraq and Afghanistan have had on equipment readiness; and if he will place in the Library a copy of each report.

Bob Ainsworth: With regard to Iraq, I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 19 November 2007,  Official Report, column 480W. With regard to Afghanistan, the Directorate of Operational Capability has to date produced two volumes of its Lessons Report on Operation Herrick. I am withholding these reports as their release would, or would be likely to, prejudice the capability, effectiveness or security of our armed forces.

Kuwait: Armed Forces

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many British troops are based at Camp Arifjan in Kuwait.

Bob Ainsworth: There are currently eight UK personnel based in Camp Arifjan in Kuwait. One liaison officer is stationed with the headquarters at the Coalition Forces Land Component Command, with the remaining seven staff located at either the operational stand-down facility or the local resources section. These figures do not include those temporarily deployed in connection with roulements or other temporary support activities.

Military Bases: Security

Nick Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many breaches of security were reported at his Department's bases and headquarters in each of the last five years; how many  (a) arrests and  (b) prosecutions resulted; and if he will make a statement.

Bob Ainsworth: This information will take time to be collated as the data will have to be obtained from different areas of the Department. I will write to the hon. Member when the information has been compiled and place a copy of my reply in the Library of the House.
	 Substantive answer from Mr. Bob Ainsworth to Nick Harvey:
	I undertook to write to you in response to your Parliamentary Question on 21 November 2007, (Official Report, column 899W) about the number of breaches of security at MOD establishments for the last five years and the resulting arrests and prosecutions.
	I have taken your question as relating to reported physical incursions onto the Defence estate in the UK. The figures in the table below therefore cover a range of sites from the main Departmental and Service establishments to storage and maintenance depots. An incursion can involve an individual or a group of individuals and can arise from a breach of the security fence, trespass on MOD property, unauthorised entry and infiltration onto a site and will typically include protester, criminal and vandal activity.
	
		
			   Incursions 
			 2002-03 23 
			 2003-04 29 
			 2004-05 34 
			 2005-06 47 
			 2006-07 37 
			 2007 31 
		
	
	Figures on arrests and prosecutions relate to Aggravated Trespass and Criminal Trespass are detailed in the following table. The great majority of the arrests related to anti-nuclear and anti-Iraq war protests, 2003 being the end of a period of several years of a high level of protest activity. Information on arrests and prosecutions dealt with by local constabularies could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
	
		
			   Arrests  Prosecutions 
			 2003 96 36 
			 2004 8 2 
			 2005 9 1 
			 2006 12 10 
			 2007(1) 14 12 
			 (1) Until 22 November 
		
	
	The degree of protection required at MOD sites will vary from site to site and area to area according to the threat, location and the nature of the establishment and it would therefore be inappropriate to give all establishments equal protection. Security measures are informed by threat assessments, derived from available intelligence. They involve risk management decisions, taking into account the effectiveness and proportionality of available countermeasures. We have to accept that guaranteed security against all forms of incursion is not achievable. It would not, for instance, be realistic to attempt to secure the outer perimeters of any MOD site to a level that would guarantee that it could never be penetrated, or to exclude the possibility of material damage in a non-sensitive area. We rely on defence in depth, with priority being given to the protection of life and those assets critical to the delivery of defence capability.
	I can assure you that we continue to strive to adapt and improve the security measures already in place so that they meet the evolving threat. As part of this continuous review of security 13 MOD sites and three MOD licensed nuclear sites were designated for protection by a new offence of criminal trespass, under the Serious Organised Crime and Police Act 2005 on 1 April 2006. The number of incursions at these sites has reduced significantly, and the number of prosecutions has increased as a result of this added protection.
	I am placing a copy of my letter in the Library of the House.

Military Equipment: Procurement

Douglas Carswell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence under what circumstances his Department does not give any indication to suppliers of the amount it is willing to spend on a procurement programme when issuing invitations to tender.

Bob Ainsworth: It is not normal departmental practice to provide programme budget details when issuing invitations to tender. However, the Defence Contracts Bulletin, which is issued in advance of tendering activity, routinely includes value banding information to indicate the approximate value of individual requirements to be advertised as a guide to suppliers who may be considering whether to respond.

Royal Military Academy: Army Benevolent Fund

Ann Winterton: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much his Department charged the Army Benevolent Fund for hosting its Music on Fire event at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst in September 2006.

Derek Twigg: Each application for the use of Ministry of Defence land for fund raising or other purposes is considered on its individual merits and an appropriate system of charges is applied. A charge of 7,041.01 was raised against the Army Benevolent Fund for the use of the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst, for the Music on Fire event held in September 2006. However, using Treasury Government Accounting Rules this figure represents an abated amount of the full costs that could have been charged.

United Kingdom Hydrographic Office

Mark Todd: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence who the members of the team conducting the review of the United Kingdom Hydrographic Office are.

Derek Twigg: The UK Hydrographic Office structural and ownership options study team was led by officials from the MOD Directorate of Business Delivery, supported by staff on loan from the UK Hydrographic Office, the Shareholder Executive and with external assistance from consultants KPMG.

United Kingdom Hydrographic Office

Linda Gilroy: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence on how many occasions the MOD review team has met the UK Hydrographic Office.

Derek Twigg: The study team met frequently with the UK Hydrographic Office both formally and informally over the 10-month period when the review took place.

United Kingdom Hydrographic Office

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence who decided the terms of reference of his Department's review of the United Kingdom Hydrographic Office; and whether these terms of reference were delivered to private sector stakeholders when they were published.

Derek Twigg: The UK Hydrographic Office (UKHO) is a Trading Fund within the Ministry of Defence. Departments routinely carry out reviews of Trading Funds from time to time as part of the Ownership role. In February 2007, I announced that we would carry out a review of the structural and ownership options for the United Kingdom Hydrographic Office (UKHO). This is due to report at the end of the year.
	I decided the terms of reference (TORs) for the UKHO study. A draft of the TORs was sent to the trades unions representing UKHO employees, giving them the opportunity to provide comments.
	During the course of the study, the study team met with a number of private sector stakeholders, none of whom requested to see a copy of the TORs.

War Pensions

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many applications under the  (a) War Pensions Scheme and  (b) Armed Forces Compensation Scheme have been turned down because of failure to comply with the burden of proof in each financial year since 2002-03.

Derek Twigg: Information is not held centrally as to the particular reason for rejection of a claim under each scheme and could be provided only at disproportionate cost. No claim under either the War Pensions Scheme (WPS) or the Armed Forces Compensation Scheme (AFCS) will fail where the evidence shows that service is the predominant cause of the injury or illness in question.

CHILDREN, SCHOOLS AND FAMILIES

School Discipline

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what new powers he plans to give teachers to improve discipline in classrooms.

Jim Knight: The Education and Inspections Act 2006 gives school staff clear statutory powers to impose disciplinary penalties on pupils for misbehaviour on and off school premises. This legislation complements head teachers' right to exclude and gives schools the powers they need to maintain discipline. We shall continue to give heads, teachers and other school staff our full support in using these powers.

Home Start

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what recent discussions he has had with Chorley and South Ribble Home Start on assistance for families with young children; and if he will make a statement.

Kevin Brennan: My Department has supported Home-Start UK since 2001; and currently provides an annual strategic grant of 2.73 million. The grant is to support the infrastructure of Home-Start UK across England. The grant covers Home-Start UK's training and support to its local home visiting services, such as the one in Chorley and South Ribble. Services in local areas are commissioned and funded at the local level, where the need has been identified.

Academy: Colchester

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families if he will make a statement on the programme to establish an academy in Colchester constituency.

Jim Knight: The Essex local authority is currently consulting on proposals to close Alderman Blaxhill school and to establish an academy on the site of the Thomas Lord Audley school. Officials from my Department have been consulted as the authority has drawn up its proposals. We believe that this may be the most appropriate way forward because we recognise that there is a need to raise standards in the area. But ultimately, the decision to close this school and to implement the proposals are matters for the local authority.

Special Educational Needs

Adam Holloway: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what steps his Department is taking to help local authorities assess children with special educational needs more accurately and rapidly.

Kevin Brennan: The Special Educational Needs (SEN) Code of Practice gives statutory guidance to local authorities on assessing children's SEN and sets out the timescale for doing so. We are including an indicator in the National Indicator Set on what percentage of statements local authorities finalise within the 26 week time limit. The national strategies' SEN adviser team provides support and challenge to authorities in meeting their duties in this area.

Sports Facilities

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what assessment his Department has made of the merits of using outdoor recreational centres to meet the requirement for five hours of sport per pupil per week.

Kevin Brennan: We are working with the Youth Sport Trust and Sport England to develop plans on what activities could be available locally and I would see outdoor recreation centres having an important role to play in supporting the five hours of sport for all children and young people offer.

International Comparisons

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what information he holds on the performance of English schools against international benchmarks; and if he will make a statement.

David Evennett: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, what recent research he has evaluated on educational standards in English schools against international benchmarks.

Jim Knight: I refer the hon. Members to the answer I gave earlier to the hon. Member for the Forest of Dean (Mr. Harper).

Science Curriculum

David Heathcoat-Amory: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families if he will consult on changes to the science curriculum.

Jim Knight: The Qualifications and Curriculum Authority has consulted widely on the key stage 3 science curriculum that will be introduced into schools for first teaching from September 2008.

Funding

Philip Dunne: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what steps his Department is taking to ensure equity of funding between pupils in England.

Kevin Brennan: The school funding arrangements recognise that pupils from disadvantaged backgrounds are likely to need extra support if they are to have an equal chance to succeed, and that some schools cost more to run than others. An equitable system balances the different needs of each area with basic funding per pupil. The Department will launch a major review of the distribution of core school funding in January to ensure that we have the right balance for the next decade.

Positive Activities

Joan Ryan: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what steps the Government are taking to promote positive activities for young people.

Beverley Hughes: The Education and Inspections Act 2006 placed a new duty on local authorities to publicise accurate information about positive activities. The Government have already provided 9 million to local authorities to help them do this.
	The Government announced in 'Aiming High for young people', published July 2007, continued funding to help local authorities publicise opportunities to young people over the next three years and committed to publish further guidance in this area to support local authorities.

Classical Music, Ballet and Opera

Andrew MacKinlay: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families if he will take steps to ensure that each child in primary and secondary education attends at least one performance each of classical music, ballet and opera.

Kevin Brennan: As we stated in the Children's Plan, we will work towards a position where no matter where they live, or what their background, all children and young people are able to get involved in top quality cultural opportunities in and out of school. We intend to run a series of pilots looking at different approaches in different parts of the country, and to establish a Youth Culture Trust to run these and promote cultural activities more widely. Further details will be announced in the new year.

International Baccalaureate

Nick Palmer: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what his policy is on the use of the International Baccalaureate; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Knight: Every young person should be able to choose rigorous, challenging qualifications that are suited to their interests and enable them to progress. This is the principle that underpins our 14 to 19 reforms. It is for schools and colleges to decide which qualifications to offer their students from the range which are approved for public funding, including the International Baccalaureate. We are currently funding start-up costs for 29 maintained institutions in areas where there is no IB provision at present.

Academies: Manchester

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families pursuant to the answer of 29 November 2007,  Official Report, columns 919-20W, on academies: Manchester, how many of the  (a) lead sponsors and  (b) co sponsors of the seven academies in Manchester are publicly funded organisations; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Knight: The following Manchester Academy Programme sponsors and co-sponsors are public bodies; Manchester College of Arts and Technology, Central Manchester and Manchester Children's University Hospital NHS Trust, City College Manchester, the BBC and Manchester city council.

Departmental ICT

Gordon Banks: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families which manufacturers' software is used in his Department.

Jim Knight: The following lists the names of manufacturers supplying significant software that is used by the Department for Children, Schools and Families:
	1E
	ActiveState Software Inc
	ActiveXperts Software BV
	Acuity Risk Management LLP
	Acuma Software Limited
	Adobe Systems
	Agresso Limited
	Art Technology Group Inc
	Aventail
	BEA Systems Inc
	Business Objects
	CASE Technologies
	Check Point Software Technologies Limited
	Cisco Systems Inc
	Citrix Systems Inc
	Clearswift Limited
	CommVault
	CA
	Dell Inc
	Diskeeper Corporation
	Double-Take Software
	EMC Corporation
	Environmental Systems Research Institute Inc
	EVault
	Ixia
	INPHASE Software Limited
	Intel Corporation Intercede Limited
	Internet Security Systems Inc
	JAM Software
	JZero Solutions
	Kainos Software Limited
	Mantix Systems Limited
	McAfee Inc
	MEGA
	Meridio
	Microsoft Corporation
	MidlandHR
	Network Appliance Inc
	PTM EDV-Systeme GmbH
	QAS Limited
	QLogic Corporation
	Qube Global Software
	Quest Software Inc
	RealVNC Limited
	Research In Motion Limited
	RSA Security Inc
	SafeNet Inc
	Semio
	Sherpa Software
	Softerra Limited
	Sophos Plc
	Source Code Technology Holdings Inc
	SPSS Inc
	Sun Microsystems Inc
	Symantec Corporation
	TANDBERG
	Telelogic AB
	Trend Micro
	VMWare Inc
	Websense Inc
	WinZip International LLC

Head Teachers: Pay

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families who the highest paid head teacher in a maintained school in England was at the most recent date for which figures are available.

Jim Knight: Some information on the salary of individual teachers is held by the Department for pensions administration purposes. It is not possible however to verify that any particular salary found in these data is the highest paid to a head teacher and to identify the individual concerned.

Higher Education: Academies

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families which universities have applied to establish academy schools.

Jim Knight: There are currently 16 universities which are sponsoring an Academy or at various stages of developing formal academy proposals. These are listed as follows. The Department is also in early discussions with a number of other universities about developing academy proposals. The number of universities which are sponsoring academies is steadily increasing and a number of others are engaged in this initiative through partnership arrangements.
	 Universities developing formal proposals
	Brunel University
	Birmingham City University (formerly University of Central England UCE)
	Coventry University
	Liverpool Hope University
	London City University
	Oxford Brookes University
	Queen Mary College
	Sheffield Hallam University
	University of Bristol
	University of Chester
	University College London
	University of Lincoln
	University of Liverpool
	University of Manchester
	University of Nottingham
	University of West of England

Literacy: Standards

Graham Stringer: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what research he has  (a) commissioned and  (b) evaluated on international comparisons of literacy at age 11 years.

Jim Knight: The Progress in International Reading Literacy Study (PIRLS) 2006 was published on 28 November 2007. PIRLS is a comparative study of the reading attainment of 10-year-olds, run by the International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement (IEA). The average age of pupils tested ranged from 9.7 years in Italy to 11.9 in Morocco. The average age of pupils tested in England was 10.3 years (Year 5 equivalent).
	The study is conducted in England by the National Foundation for Educational Research (NFER), under contract to the Department for Children, Schools and Families. NFER published the national report for England on their website www.nfer.ac.uk/pirls on 28 November 2007. Print versions of the report are being prepared and hard copies will be made available in both Houses of Parliament.
	The main conclusions from the national report for England were:
	On average, pupils in England achieved significantly above the international mean in PIRLS 2006 but the mean score for England has fallen since 2001.
	Children in England read for pleasure less often than their peers in other countries. There is a strong link between the amount of reading for pleasure and their achievement in PIRLS tests.
	37 per cent. of 10-year-olds in England play computer games for more than three hours a day. This is one of the highest proportions internationally and there is a link between high use of computer games and lower attainment in PIRLS.
	75 per cent. have access to desk or quiet space to study at homea much lower number than Western Europe.
	Of the five countries testing in English, Singapore scored significantly higher than the others. There was no significant difference between the scores of England and the United States, which both scored significantly higher than New Zealand, Scotland, and Trinidad and Tobago.
	In almost all countries, including England, girls achieved significantly higher than boys overall.
	I have also recently commissioned a benchmarking study that will compare our curriculum to that of other countries. This independent review will focus on literacy, mathematics and science and cover the seven-11 age range. It will look at curriculum content, learning styles and educational outcomes and will report in 2008.

Official Engagements

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many official engagements he has rescheduled with less than  (a) one day's,  (b) two days',  (c) one week's and  (d) two weeks' notice since taking up his appointment; and if he will make a statement.

Edward Balls: holding answer 10 December 2007
	The information is not held. Conflicting diary pressures mean that it is sometimes necessary to reschedule official engagements at short notice but I endeavour to keep this to a minimum.

Primary Education: Literacy

Ann Winterton: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what his most recent assessment is of literacy standards in primary schools; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Knight: Standards of literacy in our primary schools are at their highest levels ever. 100,000 more pupils a year are reaching the expected standard for their age compared with 1997.
	The renewed primary literacy strategy, with a stronger emphasis on phonics, and the national roll-out of Every Child a Reader will help to ensure that we maintain and extend the improvements we have already achieved.

Pupils: Education

Michael Gove: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many students aged 16 years in 2006-07 who were offered a place in continuing education under the September guarantee took up that place; and how many were still in education after  (a) six months and  (b) one year.

Jim Knight: Information is not available in the format requested.
	DCSF publishes estimates of the number of young people of academic age 16, 17 and 18 who are in education and training at the end of each calendar year. An estimate of the number of young people who were aged 16 on 31 August 2007, and who remained in education and training at the end of 2007, is due to be published in June 2008. This is the first year group to be entitled to an offer of post-16 learning under the September guarantee.
	The latest information available on the participation of young people at age 17 relates to the cohort that would have reached the statutory school leaving age in summer 2005, but the figures will be affected by subsequent increases in the size of the cohort. At the end of 2005, 582,000 16-year-olds were in education and training at the end of that year, representing 88.7 per cent. of the cohort. At the end of 2006, there were 538,000 17-year-olds in education and training, representing 81.5 per cent. of the cohort.

School Leaving

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families whether the duty on people aged 16 to 18 years to be in education and training under the Education and Skills Bill if enacted will apply to those who are  (a) in prison,  (b) in the armed forces,  (c) parents,  (d) in treatment for drug dependency,  (e) severely disabled,  (f) caring for a relative and  (g) preparing to be professional sportsmen or women; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Knight: The intention of the policy to raise the participation age is that all 16 and 17-year-olds resident in England will be required to participate in some form of education or training. Ensuring that all young people have the support they need to overcome barriers to learning, stay in their chosen route and succeed in it is one of the fundamental building blocks for making this policy a success. This includes having appropriate support for young people with special educational needs; having the right level of financial support in place; and being able to provide advice, help and support with specific problems or when things go wrong. And where there are significant barriers to young people's engagement, such as homelessness or drug or alcohol problems, support services will focus on overcoming these first and taking steps towards re-engagement in education and training. No young person will enter the enforcement system if they have a reasonable justification for why they are not participating in learning and they are taking the right steps for them towards participation. The armed forces provide opportunities to continue with constructive training and education for all recruits from every level of ability and achievement. The new duty to participate will apply for young people in custody. Education and training for young people in custody is currently provided through a mix of arrangements, including through the LSC and contracted learning providers. Young people preparing to be professional sportsmen and sportswomen will also be subject to the requirement.

Secondary Education: Admissions

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many surplus places there have been in secondary schools in each local authority area for each year from 2001-02 to 2007-08.

Jim Knight: The Department collects information from each local authority on the number of surplus school places through an annual survey. The most recent data available are for 2006. The 2007 surplus places data will be available in January 2008 on:
	http://www.teachernet.gov.uk/management/fallingschoolrolls/context/stats/.
	The number of surplus school places was not collected in 2002 to allow for a change in the method of assessing school capacity. Currently the number of school places is calculated using the net capacity method of assessment which was introduced in 2003. Prior to 2003 the capacity of a school was calculated using the MOE (more open enrolment) method.
	The following table shows the number of surplus places in maintained secondary schools calculated by the net capacity method of assessment between 2003 and 2006 and the MOE method in 2001.
	
		
			  Secondary surplus school places 
			   2001  2003  200 4  2005  2006 
			   No.  %  No.  %  No.  %  No.  %  No.  % 
			 Barking and Dagenham 467 4 604 0 614 5 458 4 374 3 
			 Barnet 639 3 960 4 1,310 6 1,408 7 1,108 6 
			 Barnsley 1,223 9 805 6 658 5 1,016 7 882 6 
			 Bath and NE Somerset 721 6 843 6 811 6 783 6 943 7 
			 Bedfordshire 4,121 10 3,060 8 2,760 7 2,643 7 2,866 7 
			 Bexley 2,195 11 812 4 732 4 676 4 1,543 8 
			 Birmingham 4,195 6 2,998 4 2,570 4 2,681 4 2,747 4 
			 Blackburn 610 6 795 8 590 6 713 7 456 5 
			 Blackpool 286 4 335 4 415 5 368 4 419 5 
			 Bolton 487 3 373 2 386 2 472 2 523 3 
			 Bournemouth 1,026 10 490 5 480 5 590 6 597 6 
			 Bracknell Forest 801 12 895 13 828 12 845 12 782 11 
			 Bradford 2,775 8 2,992 8 2,185 6 2,903 8 2,681 7 
			 Brent 1,317 9 1,185 7 1,677 10 1,513 9 1,234 7 
			 Brighton and Hove 1,167 9 889 7 1,091 8 1,210 9 611 5 
			 Bristol 1,568 8 2,039 11 2,121 12 1,817 10 2,245 13 
			 Bromley 442 2 480 2 454 2 841 4 989 4 
			 Buckinghamshire 901 3 1,257 4 1,184 3 1,042 3 1,070 3 
			 Bury 220 2 253 2 281 2 228 2 435 4 
			 Calderdale 789 5 497 3 424 3 550 4 877 5 
			 Cambridgeshire 1,364 4 3,236 9 2,604 7 2,638 7 2,755 8 
			 Camden 909 8 84 1 99 1 284 3 155 2 
			 Cheshire 3,149 7 2,837 6 2,886 6 2,748 6 3,272 7 
			 Cornwall 200 1 1,376 4 1,578 5 1,691 5 1,964 6 
			 Corporation of London 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Coventry 1,645 7 1,542 7 1,627 6 1,761 8 1,623 7 
			 Croydon 1,277 7 1,923 10 1,993 10 2,079 10 2,277 11 
			 Cumbria 4,016 11 4,207 11 2,458 7 2,506 7 2,485 7 
			 Darlington 421 7 548 8 427 6 493 7 412 6 
			 Derby 2,158 13 755 5 799 5 854 5 843 5 
			 Derbyshire 3,918 8 3,117 6 2,879 6 2,827 6 2,510 5 
			 Devon 1,519 4 1,523 4 1,437 3 2,314 5 1,732 4 
			 Doncaster 1,205 5 1,712 7 1,680 7 1,739 7 1,956 9 
			 Dorset 2,248 7 1,731 5 1,808 6 1,633 5 3,067 9 
			 Dudley 724 7 595 3 544 3 537 3 711 3 
			 Durham 2,916 8 4,079 11 3,450 10 3,779 11 3,973 11 
			 Ealing 242 2 666 4 405 3 476 3 504 3 
			 East Riding of Yorkshire 1,026 5 1,011 4 1,265 5 1,261 5 1,303 5 
			 East Sussex 1,036 4 1,670 6 1,759 6 2,085 7 1,891 6 
			 Enfield 2,873 12 2,326 10 887 4 578 3 493 2 
			 Essex 6,616 7 6,003 6 5,331 6 5,403 6 6,125 6 
			 Gateshead 551 5 972 8 1,051 8 1,120 9 1,079 8 
			 Gloucestershire 2,043 5 2,737 6 2,502 6 2,423 6 2,381 6 
			 Greenwich 1,323 9 1,905 12 1,461 9 1,481 9 1,552 10 
			 Hackney 858 10 931 11 501 6 530 7 1,108 14 
			 Halton 1,162 12 383 4 494 6 635 7 710 8 
			 Hammersmith and Fulham 488 7 1,369 18 1,305 16 1,200 16 1,363 18 
			 Hampshire 5,200 7 5,001 7 5,145 7 5,288 7 5,271 7 
			 Haringey 1,471 11 698 6 1,062 9 884 7 303 3 
			 Harrow 851 9 283 3 293 3 300 3 283 3 
			 Hartlepool 709 10 629 9 697 9 249 4 322 5 
			 Havering 931 6 974 6 771 5 832 5 818 5 
			 Herefordshire 1,085 10 495 5 405 4 398 4 520 5 
			 Hertfordshire 9,632 12 9,832 11 9,419 11 5,948 7 7,554 9 
			 Hillingdon 1,188 7 1,133 6 910 5 650 4 791 5 
			 Hounslow 545 3 441 3 390 2 430 3 846 5 
			 Isle of Scilly 36 23 1,543 11 1,497 11 1,397 10 1,564 11 
			 Isle of Wight 775 6 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Islington 793 10 589 7 559 7 770 9 703 8 
			 Kensington and Chelsea 583 14 202 5 221 6 215 6 198 5 
			 Kent 7,623 8 6,915 7 7,027 7 7,217 7 7,127 7 
			 Kingston-upon-Hull 1,915 11 1,070 6 942 6 1,568 9 1,451 8 
			 Kingston-upon-Thames 631 7 619 7 543 6 442 5 518 5 
			 Kirklees 2,279 8 2,989 10 2,698 9 2,691 9 2,428 8 
			 Knowsley 1,395 12 1,768 15 1,848 15 1,761 15 2,105 18 
			 Lambeth 1,656 19 762 10 556 7 307 4 293 4 
			 Lancashire 5,773 7 4,816 6 4,664 6 5,106 6 5,893 7 
			 Leeds 3,545 7 3,647 7 3,861 8 2,541 5 2,535 5 
			 Leicester 943 5 744 4 818 4 1,133 6 1,212 6 
			 Leicestershire 3,157 7 1,816 4 1,900 4 1,976 4 2,349 5 
			 Lewisham 1,826 14 711 6 924 7 1,244 11 1,178 10 
			 Lincolnshire 4,197 9 3,533 7 2,781 6 2,634 5 2,617 5 
			 Liverpool 3,112 9 2,286 6 2,839 8 3,161 9 3,516 10 
			 Luton 426 4 344 3 400 3 652 5 728 6 
			 Manchester 1,943 8 1,614 6 1,654 7 1,586 6 1,893 8 
			 Medway 2,928 13 1,649 8 1,471 7 1,515 7 1,938 9 
			 Merton 1,312 15 870 9 1,037 11 1,356 14 1,683 17 
			 Middlesbrough 787 8 797 10 440 7 531 9 601 10 
			 Milton Keynes 1,728 13 1,542 11 1,701 12 1,425 10 1,731 11 
			 Newcastle-upon-Tyne 2,004 10 1,427 7 1,800 9 1,748 9 1,422 8 
			 Newham 1,323 7 1,326 7 1,419 7 1,560 8 1,987 10 
			 Norfolk 3,020 7 2,939 6 3,723 8 3,811 8 3,908 8 
			 North East Lincolnshire 838 7 931 7 1,074 8 1,502 12 1,775 14 
			 North Lincolnshire 1,027 9 1,167 10 1,093 9 1,126 9 989 8 
			 North Somerset 691 5 250 2 213 2 247 2 263 2 
			 North Tyneside 1,770 12 826 6 803 6 862 6 1,075 7 
			 North Yorkshire 1,675 4 3,417 8 3,105, 7 2,984 7 3,259 7 
			 Northamptonshire 3,501 7 4,598 8 5,817 11 2,173 5 2,239 5 
			 Northumberland 3,254 10 2,465 8 2,690 8 2,270 7 2,544 8 
			 Nottinghamshire 7,984 13 1,540 10 1,513 10 1,625 11 2,222 14 
			 Nottingham 3,529 21 3,670 7 3,335 6 3,702 6 4,210 7 
			 Oldham 1,134 7 888 5 732 4 760 5 1,046 6 
			 Oxfordshire 4,749 11 2,341 6 3,878 9 4,429 10 4,529 11 
			 Peterborough 1,238 9 1,898 13 2,037 14 1,958 13 2,210 14 
			 Plymouth 795 4 863 5 865 5 455 2 588 17 
			 Poole 676 8 205 2 160 2 201 2 244 3 
			 Portsmouth 179 2 802 7 857 8 1,036 10 1,099 10 
			 Reading 1,235 16 854 12 898 13 1,029 15 1,065 15 
			 Redbridge 649 3 1,245 6 1,164 6 796 4 755 4 
			 Redcar and Cleveland 1,430 12 1,204 11 1,016 9 586 6 509 5 
			 Richmond-upon-Thames 569 7 359 5 620 8 663 8 780 10 
			 Rochdale 1,434 9 1,224 8 1,198 8 1,352 9 1,415 9 
			 Rotherham 1,383 7 1,312 6 1,085 5 1,098 5 1,102 5 
			 Rutland 234 10 345 13 311 12 317 12 268 10 
			 Salford 2,234 15 2,154 15 1,484 11 1,726 12 1,571 12 
			 Sandwell 2,551 12 1,917 9 1,677 8 1,198 6 1,548 7 
			 Sefton 1,280 6 874 4 1,037 5 1,283 6 1,697 8 
			 Sheffield 1,102 4 700 2 595 2 683 2 815 3 
			 Shropshire 588 3 573 3 626 3 814 4 959 5 
			 Slough 333 4 309 4 158 2 312 4 366 4 
			 Solihull 277 2 164 1 232 1 652 4 778 5 
			 Somerset 2,864 9 2,550 7 1,107 3 1,124 3 970 3 
			 South Gloucestershire 1,285 7 1,462 8 1,466 8 2,092 11 2,795 14 
			 South Tyneside 1,161 10 1,461 12 1,526 13 1,128 10 1,298 12 
			 Southampton 658 5 1,478 11 1,376 10 1,625 12 2,347 17 
			 Southend-on-Sea 695 6 638 5 847 6 770 6 611 5 
			 Southwark 1,148 11 686 6 328 3 175 2 205 2 
			 St. Helens 1,000 8 298 2 231 2 317 3 406 3 
			 Staffordshire 899 2 2,602 4 1,916 3 2,682 4 2,978 5 
			 Stockport 1,171 7 794 5 754 4 1,081 6 876 5 
			 Stockton-on-Tees 668 5 839 6 1,190 9 1,253 9 1,063 8 
			 Stoke-on-Trent 934 6 487 3 546 4 766 5 1,072 7 
			 Suffolk 4,610 8 4,957 8 4,746 8 5,504 9 6,076 10 
			 Sunderland 983 5 2,146 10 2,384 11 2,933 13 3,150 14 
			 Surrey 3,737 7 3,706 6 2,347 4 3,559 6 3,566 6 
			 Sutton 670 5 598 4 521 3 479 3 782 5 
			 Swindon 352 3 877 7 934 8 1,133 9 963 8 
			 Tameside 1,064 7 808 5 654 4 632 4 850 5 
			 Telford 789 8 854 8 775 7 973 9 1,096 10 
			 Thurrock 957 11 760 9 500 6 367 4 413 5 
			 Torbay 238 3 145 2 891 9 1,024 10 1,145 11 
			 Tower Hamlets 1,028 7 1,424 9 1,240 8 1,407 9 907 6 
			 Trafford 1,053 6 993 6 855 5 1,022 6 1,410 8 
			 Wakefield 1,096 5 614 3 584 3 674 3 837 4 
			 Walsall 1,504 7 998 4 1,120 5 1,134 5 1,196 5 
			 Waltham Forest 884 7 980 7 889 6 782 5 997 7 
			 Wandsworth 465 5 679 6 758 7 948 9 980 9 
			 Warrington 492 4 395 3 401 3 564 4 655 5 
			 Warwickshire 2,712 8 2,652 7 2,495 7 2,614 7 2,790 8 
			 West Berkshire 331 3 330 3 315 3 446 4 432 3 
			 West Sussex 4,374 9 3,804 8 3,369 7 4,664 9 3,858 8 
			 Westminster 697 9 840 9 610 7 511 6 625 7 
			 Wigan 1,161 6 1,441 7 1,022 5 1,384 6 1,761 8 
			 Wiltshire 2,643 9 3,974 12 3,919 12 4,115 12 3,167 10 
			 Windsor and Maidenhead 314 3 524 5 417 4 493 5 759 7 
			 Wirral 2,325 9 1,472 6 1,197 5 2,025 8 2,572 10 
			 Wokingham 38 0 316 3 340 3 ,475 4 588 5 
			 Wolverhampton 1,171 7 1,713 9 1,312 7 2,153 11 2,224 12 
			 Worcestershire 4,285 12 2,589 6 2,618 6 2,635 6 3,044 7 
			 York 779 11 608 6 539 5 508 5 815 7 
			 Total 250,733 7 231,391 7 220,528 6 227,168 7 244,111 7 
			  Note: Number of places relate to position as at January.  Source: Surplus Places Survey

Students: Loans

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many students from Romford entering higher education have required loans from the Student Loans Company in each year since 1997.

Bill Rammell: I have been asked to reply.
	Available data are shown in the table.
	
		
			  Borrowers taking out student loans from the London borough of Havering( 1) , academic year loan taken out 
			  Academic year  Borrowers( 2) 
			 1997/98 730 
			 1998/99 1,560 
			 1999/2000 1,750 
			 2000/01 1,900 
			 2001/02 2,060 
			 2002/03 2,150 
			 2003/04 2,270 
			 2004/05 2,420 
			 2005/06 2,620 
			 2006/07(3) 2,760 
			 (1) Borrowers whose local authority was Havering at the time of their loan application. Includes new entrants and those continuing in higher education. (2) Figures are rounded to the nearest 10. (3) Includes fee loans from their introduction in 2006/07.  Source: Student Loans Company. 
		
	
	This information is not available at constituency level.

Young People: Antisocial Behaviour

James Brokenshire: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what recent assessment he has made of the extent to which youth provision under the Respect Action Plan  (a) meets demand from and  (b) affects levels of antisocial behaviour among young people.

Beverley Hughes: The Respect Action Plan set out measures to expand and develop constructive and purposeful activities for all young people including those who are disadvantaged and at risk of antisocial behaviour. Commitments set out in the Action Plan have been implemented including the establishment of Youth Opportunity and Youth Capital Funds which have been made available to all local authorities in England since April 2006.
	The Respect Action Plan was only one element of our response for young people. Aiming High set out a ten year strategy to ensure that positive activities are available for all young people.
	The Youth Taskforce was created from the Respect Taskforce in October 2007 to build on the Respect programme and support local delivery of our vision for young people.
	The Taskforce are currently developing analysis and proposals and will publish an Action Plan in spring 2008 giving more detail on the areas where it will work with local partners to deliver for young people.

BUSINESS, ENTERPRISE AND REGULATORY REFORM

Broadband: Scotland

Michael Moore: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what estimate he has made of the number of people without access to broadband services in Scotland, broken down by constituency; and if he will make a statement.

Stephen Timms: The Department has not compiled such estimates.
	The Scottish Executive's research on broadband reach in Scotland, published in December 2006, estimates that between 7,000 and 25,000 homes cannot access DSL bandwidths in excess of 512 kilobytes. These are scattered throughout Scotland, but where local conditions affect a number of premises in the same way, there is some evidence of clustering, and the Scottish Executive are aware of around 50 such clusters (of 10 or more people).

Coal-Fired Power Stations

Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what assessment he has made of the likely effect of the introduction of new coal power stations on achievement of the target of 20 per cent. of energy from renewable sources by 2020.

Malcolm Wicks: The Government intend to hold a consultation next year on options for a UK Renewable Energy Strategy to deliver our share of the EU 2020 renewables target, and then publish the strategy in spring 2009.
	Our assessment of the various factors which will influence the deployment of renewable energy generation will be included in the consultation document.

Coal-Fired Power Stations

Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform how many proposed coal-burning power plants are under consideration for approval by his Department; what account his Department takes of likely levels of carbon dioxide emissions from such plants in the approval process; and what estimate he has made of the likely percentage of UK carbon dioxide emissions which will come from such plants in 2020.

Malcolm Wicks: One. The Environmental Impact Assessment which accompanies any such application includes an assessment of atmospheric emissions and this is taken into account before any decision is taken.

Coal-Fired Power Stations: Kingsnorth

Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what estimate he has made of the number of permanent new local jobs which would be created by the new coal power station at Kingsnorth.

Malcolm Wicks: E.ON currently employs over 160 staff with approximately another 90 on a contract basis at the existing Kingsnorth power station. E.ON estimates that a similar number of staff will be required for the proposed new coal-fired station.

Coal-Fired Power Stations: Kingsnorth

Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what is the expected date for installation of carbon capture and storage at the proposed new coal power station at Kingsnorth.

Malcolm Wicks: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State has yet to make a decision on whether to grant consent to construct a new coal-fired station at Kingsnorth. It would therefore be wrong for me to indicate a timing for the installation of carbon capture plant as that could be seen as pre-empting his decision.

Coal-Fired Power Stations: Kingsnorth

Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what estimate he has made of the likely level of carbon dioxide emissions from the proposed coal power plant at Kingsnorth; and of the likely proportion of UK carbon dioxide emissions which will come from the plant in 2020.

Malcolm Wicks: It is estimated by the developer that, working at maximum output, the proposed station would produce 8.06 megatonnes of CO2, compared with 10.9 MTe CO2 from the existing coal-fired station. I have made no estimate of the likely proportion of emissions in 2020, nor has the Secretary of State taken a decision on the planning application.

Coal-Fired Power Stations: Kingsnorth

Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform whether he plans to order a public inquiry into the proposed new coal power station at Kingsnorth.

Malcolm Wicks: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State has yet to take a decision on the application, including whether to hold a public inquiry.

Coal-Fired Power Stations: Kingsnorth

Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform whether the existing plant at Kingsnorth will operate alongside the proposed new coal power station at Kingsnorth between 2012 and 2015.

Malcolm Wicks: No. The developer intends that the existing coal fired station will be decommissioned if the new station is consented to and built.

Coal-Fired Power Stations: Kingsnorth

Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what assessment his Department made of alternative sources of energy which could be used in place of new coal build at Kingsnorth power station.

Malcolm Wicks: None. The energy sector is market led and companies decide what development applications to bring forward in the context of the Government's energy policy framework.

Coal-Fired Power Stations: Kingsnorth

Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform if he will order a public inquiry on the proposal for a new, unabated coal plant at Kingsnorth in Kent.

Malcolm Wicks: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State has yet to take a decision on the application, including whether to hold a public inquiry.

Corporate Hospitality

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform how many dinners were provided for his Department's Ministers and officials by external solicitors in each of the last seven years.

Malcolm Wicks: The records of formal business meetings between solicitors and officials from the Department are not held centrally.
	With respect to the coal health compensation schemes, we are not aware of any Ministers for whom dinners were provided. Officials have had formal business with solicitors conducted through normal business meetings. I understand that there were occasions when officials involved in such meetings had dinner with some solicitors. However, we do not have comprehensive records of those occasions.

Electricity Generation: Finance

Brian Jenkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform how much funding his Department has allocated to electricity generation projects using  (a) tidal power,  (b) wave power,  (c) wind,  (d) biomass,  (e) hydro power,  (f) gas and  (g) coal.

Malcolm Wicks: The information requested is as follows.
	 Renewables
	Department expenditure on R and D on renewable energy technologies from 1996 is set out at table 1.
	In addition, renewable electricity generation projects receive support under the Renewables Obligation (RO). However, this is not direct Government funding; instead, the RO places an obligation on licensed electricity suppliers to source a specific and annually increasing proportion of their sales from renewable sources.
	The RO, along with exemption from the climate change levy, will be worth around l billion per year in support for the renewables industry by 2010.
	 Coal
	The Government are launching a competition to support the first commercial-scale Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) project using post-combustion capture on a coal-fired power station in the world.
	Key objectives of the demonstration competition in the UK are to deliver a successful demonstration of the full chain of CCS technologies on a power plant at a commercial scale and to demonstrate technology that is relevant and transferable to key global markets,particularly in emerging economies.
	Funding outlines for this project will be available in due course.
	 Gas
	There is no Government funding allocated to electricity generation projects using gas.
	
		
			  Table 1: DTI renewable energy R and D expenditure 
			   
			   1996-97  1997-98  1998-99  1999-2000  2000-01  2001-02 
			 Bioenergy 2,575,853 1,464,922 1,193,500 1,664,159 1,353,942 1,348,962 
			 Hydrogen 141,884 56,950 79,965 137,731 60,269 129,626 
			 Solar/PV 1,889,415 1,672,937 1,006,877 1,282,761 1,265,798 1,522,106 
			 Wave and tidal 54,865 7,670 95,649 20,442 360,849 968,033 
			 Wind 2,377,360 1,246,222 957,769 808,587 912,822 1,247,901 
		
	
	
		
			   
			   2002-03  2003-04  2004 -05  2005-06  2006-07 
			 Bioenergy 1,637,073 1,604,705 974,222 879,123 301,055 
			 Hydrogen 200,391 85,244 33,045  8,088 
			 Solar/PV 4,484,914 3,130,705 1,970,338 1,782,327 1,127,622 
			 Wave and tidal 2,744,782 5,018,572 1,235,488 1,655,194 2,257,894 
			 Wind 1,427,651 1,394,696 1,459,598 1,136,774 844,752

Electricity Generation: Wastes

Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of incinerating waste for the purpose of producing electricity; and if he will make a statement.

Malcolm Wicks: The Energy White Paper recognised the energy and waste policy benefits of generating energy from waste that cannot be prevented, reused or recycled. Recovering energy from waste by incineration or other methods has benefits for security of fuel supply, with the biomass fraction of waste also being a renewable energy source.
	According to the latest available statistics, in 2006 1,083 GWh of electricity were generated from the biodegradable fraction of municipal solid waste and a further 651 GWh from the non-biodegradable fraction most of which was of fossil fuel origin. These together accounted for 0.4 per cent. of the UK's electricity generation in 2006.

Energy Supply

Steve Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what methodology his Department uses to calculate a cash equivalent in cost-benefit analyses for enhanced security of supply obtained from UK capital projects in energy generation.

Malcolm Wicks: Since the Government do not invest in energy generation projects, there is no reason for Government to undertake cost-benefit analysis for such projects. This is a matter for investors.
	There is, however, discussion about the quantification and valuation of security of energy supply in chapter 3 of the joint Government-Ofgem Energy Markets Outlook. This is at:
	http://www.berr.gov.uk/energy/energymarketsoutlook/security-supply/page41854.html.
	More in-depth analysis is annexed at:
	http://www.berr.gov.uk/files/file41822.pdf.

Export Credit Guarantees: Sakhalin Island

Mark Todd: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what representations he has received on the environmental sustainability of the Sakhalin II project; what factors will be taken into account in the decision on whether to provide an export credits guarantee for the project; and if he will make a statement.

Malcolm Wicks: The ECGD has received submissions from a number of interested parties about the environmental impacts of the Sakhalin II project. These will be taken into account in accordance with the ECGD's published Case Impact Analysis Process:
	www.ecgd.gov.uk
	In considering support for the project the ECGD will apply its normal underwriting policy and its business principles. Relevant factors include financial, technical and environmental aspects of the project.
	The ECGD has not yet completed its assessment. A note of decision will be published in due course.

Franco-British Nuclear Forum

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what is the status of the Franco-British Nuclear Forum.

Malcolm Wicks: The Franco-British Nuclear Forum was announced following the then Prime Minister's meeting with the then President of the French Republic in June 2006. The announcement said:
	We have agreed to explore and further develop the opportunities of working together in the civil nuclear field. To that end we have agreed to establish a regular Franco-British Nuclear Forum, involving representatives from government, industry and technical experts. The Forum will provide a vehicle to discuss Franco-British nuclear cooperation, including research, skills, decommissioning and waste management.
	The work of the forum is ongoing.

Franco-British Nuclear Forum

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what the  (a) budget and  (b) cost to his Department of the Franco-British Nuclear Forum was in 2006-07.

Malcolm Wicks: The budget for the forum was met from the Department's existing budget for nuclear liabilities. The costs of the 29 March event held in London were 9,500 for conference facilities, lunch and translation and interpretation facilities, plus staff costs of approximately 14,000.

Franco-British Nuclear Forum

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform how many meetings of the Franco-British Nuclear Forum have been held during 2007; and when he expects it next to meet.

Malcolm Wicks: One meeting of the Forum was held in March 2007 and, subject to the French Government's decision on dates, we expect the next meeting to take place in the spring. Working groups continue to meet regularly to progress their work individually.

Fuels: Excise Duties

Stephen Hesford: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform whether he has had any recent discussions with ministerial colleagues on freezing or reducing fuel duty to assist businesses.

Malcolm Wicks: Fuel duty rates are set by my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer. The 2007 Budget announced fuel duty rates for the next three yearsfor environmental reasons, to fund public services and to provide certainty alongside the other tax reforms in this Budget.
	The Government recognise businesses' concerns over fuel duty rates and continue to support the industry with other measures:
	From 1 October 2007, the Reduced Pollution Certificate scheme has been extended so that hauliers buying a Euro V compliant vehicle up to 31 September 2009 can claim a discount of up to 500 a year on vehicle excise duty (VED).
	VED rates for heavy goods vehicles (HGVs) have been frozen since 2001 and the Government have now announced that they will continue to be frozen in 2008-09.

Fuels: Prices

Angus MacNeil: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what assessment he has made of the effect on remote and island communities of the recent increases in road fuel prices.

Malcolm Wicks: The Department has not specifically undertaken an assessment of the impact of recent increases in road fuel prices on remote and island communities.
	A range of factors such as crude oil prices, exchange rate, seasonal factors, level of stocks, refinery capacity, distribution costs and degree of retail competition determine retail petrol and diesel prices.
	Prices in rural and remote areas, where distribution costs are higher, will typically be higher than the UK average.

Furniture: Finance

Madeleine Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what funding was provided to the furniture industry by regional development agencies in each of the last three years.

Stephen Timms: The following table shows funding to the furniture industry from the RDA's single pot budgets (i.e. excluding Selective Finance for Investment in Enterprise).
	
		
			  000 
			   2004-05  2005-06  2006-07 
			 AWM 45 95 129 
			 EEDA 0 14 26.37 
			 EMDA (1) 18.74 18.74 
			 LDA 0 0 192.27 
			 NWDA 0 0 0 
			 ONE 10 70 0 
			 SEEDA 0 0 0 
			 SWRDA 0 223.11 0 
			 YF 497.8 233.15 270 
			 (1 )No figures available. 
		
	
	The following table shows funding awarded through Selective Finance for Investment in Enterprise (SFIE).
	
		
			  000 
			   2004-05  2005-06  2006-07 
			 NWDA 255 100 147 
			 SEEDA   187.12 
			 SWRDA 68

Industrial Diseases: Compensation

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what steps his Department takes when Vendside refuses to transfer files to a solicitor as requested by a claimant for miner's compensation.

Malcolm Wicks: It is not within the Department's remit to require Vendside to transfer files to a claimant's legal representatives. The claimants' legal representatives are best placed to advise their clients of their options.
	The Claims Management Regulation regime established by the Compensation Act 2006 provides the statutory framework for the regulation of claims management activities. Further information can be found on the Claims Management Regulations website on http://www.claimsregulation.gov.uk/index.aspx. Complaints about the ongoing behaviour of claims handlers such as Vendside could be referred to the Claims Management Regulator.
	Alternatively, complaints about Vendside's refusal to disclose data could be made to the Information Commissioner.

Insolvency: Fees and Charges

Stephen Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what plans he has to bring forward proposals to reform legislation governing insolvencies and the fees levied by liquidators in the administration thereof.

Patrick McFadden: holding answer 6 December 2007
	We are seeking to introduce a new individual insolvency procedure, the debt relief order (DRO) from April 2009, the framework for which is set out in the Tribunals, Courts and Enforcement Act 2007. DROs are aimed at people who owe relatively little, have very low incomes and few, if any, assets and have no way to pay their debts because they are financially excluded from existing remedies. In order to obtain a DRO the debtor will need to pay one up-front fee that will be set at a level to cover the official receiver's costs of administering the case and no more. The precise level is yet to be determined but it will be significantly less than the deposit required on presentation of a bankruptcy petition and no further fees will be payable in such cases.
	We have also been consulting extensively on proposals to augment the existing individual voluntary arrangement regime (IVA) with a simplified version of the IVA for those with undisputed debts of less than 75,000. The necessary legislative changes to give effect to this are planned to come into force from October 2008.
	Work is also being undertaken to consolidate and modernise the insolvency secondary legislation including the insolvency rules themselves, which set out the detailed procedures for the various insolvency processes. The changes proposed include changes to the mechanism by which insolvency office-holders have their remuneration and expenses agreed by creditors. These changes are intended to increase transparency and accountability by requiring insolvency office-holders to have their remuneration and expenses agreed by creditors. These changes are intended to increase transparency and accountability by requiring insolvency office-holders to provide information on remuneration taken, on a regular basis. Creditors will be given new powers to request further and better particulars in respect of remuneration charged and expenses incurred, together with clearer rights to challenge those amounts in court where they consider them to be excessive.

Lifeguards: Minimum Wage

Si�n James: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what estimate he has made of the number and proportion of swimming pool lifeguards who receive the minimum wage at the  (a) adult and  (b) 16 to 17-year-old rate.

Patrick McFadden: Estimates of the number of jobs paid at the national minimum wage are derived from the ONS's Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (ASHE). It does not contain the occupational detail needed to identify swimming pool lifeguards and so an estimate is not available.

Microgeneration: North East Region

Fraser Kemp: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what percentage of the UK's electricity was supplied from sources in the North East using microgeneration technologies in the last period for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement.

Malcolm Wicks: Specific figures for the amount of electricity generated by microgeneration at regional level are not available; however, we estimate that there are approximately 100,000 microgeneration installations in the United Kingdom.

Nuclear Installations Inspectorate: Recruitment

Charles Hendry: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform how many additional specialist personnel the nuclear installations inspectorate intends to recruit to undertake the work to approve four alternative designs of nuclear reactors within three years.

Malcolm Wicks: holding answer 13 December 2007
	 The nuclear regulators, which include the nuclear installations inspectorate (NII) of the Health and Safety Executive, will apply their resources to ensure that a rigorous approach is taken to the generic design assessment (GDA) process. If the outcome of the consultation on the Future of Nuclear Power is that private sector companies should be allowed to invest in new nuclear power stations, the NII will need to take on additional staff as the assessment process progresses. The number of specialist personnel the NII will require to undertake the process is a matter for them.
	Although four designs are currently being assessed in the initial stage of GDA, we set out in the consultation document that if more than three designs remain viable following this stage, then a prioritisation process will need to be run to select no more than three designs to proceed to the detailed stage of the assessments. Depending on the outcome of the nuclear consultation, we will announce the detail of how this prioritisation process would operate in due course.

Nuclear Power

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what his policy is on the future use of fast breeder reactors in the UK.

Malcolm Wicks: We have not yet reached a decision on the future of nuclear power following our nuclear consultation which ended on 10 October.
	In the event that, following the consultation, the Government decide to allow private sector energy companies to build new nuclear power stations, it will be for the private sector to bring forward proposals for new reactors and for the regulators to be assured of the safety, security and environmental emissions of a design before it can be licensed.
	Fast breeder reactors are currently a long way off in terms of being able to be deployed on a commercial scale and thus none are going through the first steps of the generic design assessment process.

Nuclear Power Stations: Public Participation

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform how many UK citizens had their views directly solicited in respect of plans for an increased number of nuclear power stations; and if he will make a statement.

Malcolm Wicks: We intended our public consultation on whether it is in the public interest to give private sector energy companies the option of investing in new nuclear power stations to hear from a wide range of different people across the UK. To that end, as well as publishing a consultation document, we advertised the consultation in the press; held meetings for interested organisations, which were attended by a total of about 400 representatives; held meetings near existing nuclear facilities attended by a total of about 200 people; and held nine day-long events attended by about 1,000 members of the general public. We also sent direct mail to over 5,000 community organisations, and placed copies of the document together with a poster in public libraries. In addition to the views expressed at the meetings, we received over 2,700 written responses from individuals and organisations. Following consideration of these responses we will announce our decision in the new year.

Nuclear Power: Radioactive Wastes

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what projections he has made of annual volumes of  (a) high,  (b) intermediate and  (c) low-level nuclear waste that may arise from the introduction of a new generation of nuclear power stations.

Malcolm Wicks: It is the Government's position that, if we conclude private sector energy companies should be allowed to invest in nuclear power, it will be for private sector energy companies to bring forward plans to build any new nuclear power stations. This means that we cannot be sure of the number or design of stations that might be proposed, or of the volumes of waste that could arise.
	In the consultation document The Future of Nuclear Power, we considered an example scenario that had been referenced in the Committee on Radioactive Waste Management's (CoRWM) Inventory Report which would rather more than replace existing nuclear capacity. For this estimated scenario, the CoRWM Inventory Report summary information document shows that it would, over the lifetime of the new stations, add 8 per cent. to the UK's existing volume of radioactive waste.
	In the event that the Government conclude in favour of allowing private sector energy companies to invest in new nuclear power stations, we will continue to explore these issues as part of our programme of facilitative actions.

Nuclear Reactors

Charles Hendry: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform whether it is his policy to require the nuclear installations inspectorate to establish commercial demand from utility companies for each of the nuclear reactor types they are assessing.

Malcolm Wicks: holding answer 13 December 2007
	 The approach of the regulators (which includes the nuclear installations inspectorate) to generic design assessment (GDA) of new nuclear reactor designs is to provide a rigorous and structured examination of the safety, security and environmental aspects of possible new nuclear reactor designs. Before GDA began, we carried out a prioritisation process to ensure that the regulators could focus their resources on those designs that have the greatest chance of being built. This process required all applicants for GDA to have the support of a credible nuclear power operator. The result of this process was that four designs are being assessed in the initial stage of GDA.
	As we set out in the consultation document, if more than three designs remain viable following this stage, a prioritisation process will be needed to select no more than three designs to proceed to the detailed stage of the assessments. This second stage of prioritisation would also take account of the designs' likelihood of being deployed in the UK by 2016-22. We will announce the detail of how this prioritisation process would operate in due course. This prioritisation will only be necessary if the outcome of the consultation on the future of nuclear power is that private-sector companies should be allowed to invest in new nuclear power stations.

Oil

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what studies have been  (a) commissioned and  (b) evaluated by his Department on the peak oil phenomenon; and if he will make a statement.

Malcolm Wicks: The Department is aware of a wide range of academic and industry studies which look at future world oil supplies, including the peak oil phenomenon, and meets experts regularly to discuss this and other oil market issues.
	The Government's assessment is that the world's oil resources are sufficient to prevent total global oil production peaking before 2030. This is consistent with the assessment made by the International Energy Agency (IEA) in its 2007 World Energy Outlook (WEO).

Oil: North Sea

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what estimate he has made of the proportion of the UK's energy needs which will be met by UK North Sea reserves in  (a) 2008,  (b) 2012,  (c) 2015,  (d) 2020 and  (e) 2030.

Malcolm Wicks: Estimates of the proportion of UK primary energy demand met by UK oil and gas production can be derived from Updated Energy and Carbon Emissions Projections, published alongside the May 2007 Energy White Paper at http://www.berr.gov.uk/files/file39580.pdf, but only for the years 2005, 2010 and 2020.
	On the basis of the central production projections, central fossil fuel price assumptions and central estimates of the impact on demand of policy measures in the Energy White Paper included in that paper, the proportion of the UK's energy needs which were or would be met by UK North sea reserves in (a) 2005, (b) 2010 and (c) 2020 are (a) 70 per cent., (b) 58 per cent. and (c) 24 per cent.

Political Levy

Andrew Tyrie: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform how many and what proportion of members of each trade union with a political fund have exercised their right to opt out of the political levy, according to records held by  (a) his Department and  (b) the Certification Officer.

Patrick McFadden: holding answer 13 December 2007
	The Department does not hold records of its own regarding the numbers who opt out of paying the political levy.
	The Certification Officer has provided the following figures. These are based on the latest returns made to the Certification Officer by the relevant trade unions. The proportion of members who have exercised their right to opt out of the political levy is calculated against members contributing to the union rather than the total number of members.
	
		
			  Name  Total number of union members contributing to General Fund  Number of members who have completed an exemption notice and therefore do not contribute to the Political Fund  Number of members who have completed an exemption notice and therefore do not contribute to the Political Fund as a percentage 
			 Amicus 807,200 158,331 19.6 
			 Aspect 3,969 68 1.7 
			 Associated Society of Locomotive Engineers and Firemen 17,944 319 1.8 
			 Association of Revenue and Customs 2,594 83 3.2 
			 Bakers Food and Allied Workers Union 24,564 0 0.0 
			 Broadcasting Entertainment Cinematograph and Theatre Union 26,543 155 0.6 
			 Communication Workers Union 238,817 25,883 10.8 
			 Community 29,117 2,977 10.2 
			 Connect; The Union for Professionals in Communications 19,473 5,154 26.5 
			 Educational Institute of Scotland 58,829 1,245 2.1 
			 Fire Brigades Union 45,839 9,016 19.7 
			 GMB 575,892 26,141 4.5 
			 Musicians Union 32,641 644 2.0 
			 National Association of Colliery Deputies and Shotfirers 336 0 0.0 
			 National Association of Schoolmasters Union of Woman Teachers 251,763 9 0.0 
			 National Association of Teachers in Further and Higher Education 62,023 2,507 4.0 
			 National Union of Mineworkers 7,418 112 1.5 
			 National Union of Mineworkers North Western Cheshire and Cumbria Miners Association 17 0 0.0 
			 National Union of Rail Maritime and Transport Workers 65,399 433 0.7 
			 POA 35,772 4 0.0 
			 Prospect 90,456 230 0.3 
			 Transport and General Workers Union 670,430 28,985 4.3 
			 Transport Salaried Staffs' Association 30,570 2,019 6.6 
			 Union of Construction Allied Trades and Technicians 124,217 16,942 13.6 
			 Union of Democratic Mineworkers 2,268 0 0.0 
			 Union of Shop Distributive and 341,291 17,742 5.2 
			 Allied Workers
			 UNISON: The Public Services Union 1,343,000 20,389 1.5 
			 Unity 7,239 130 1.8 
			 Total 4,915,621 319,518 6.5

Political Levy

Andrew Tyrie: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform which trade unions with political funds offer discounted membership or a rebate to union members who opt out of the political levy.

Patrick McFadden: holding answer 13 December 2007
	 When trade union members opt out of contributing to their union's political fund, the union must ensure that they do not make payments to the political fund and their payments to the union must be set or adjusted accordingly. There are no grounds to believe that trade unions with political funds are failing to comply with these legal requirements.

Power Stations: Repairs and Maintenance

Michael Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform 
	(1)  for how long each power station in the United Kingdom has been shut down for  (a) safety concerns and  (b) essential maintenance in each of the last 10 years;
	(2)  how many temporary shutdowns there were of  (a) nuclear,  (b) coal,  (c) hydro-electric,  (d) gas and  (e) oil-fired power stations in each of the last 10 years.

Malcolm Wicks: Planned or unplanned closures of this nature are commercial and/or technical decisions for the companies that own and operate the power stations to take in conjunction with the relevant health and safety authorities. My Department therefore does not keep records of the operating decisions of individual power stations.

Radioactive Materials: Transport

Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what arrangements his Department uses to  (a) monitor and  (b) track nuclear waste materials; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Fitzpatrick: I have been asked to reply.
	For the purposes of this question nuclear waste materials will be taken to mean irradiated nuclear fuel (INF) which is transported by rail from nuclear power stations to Sellafield in Cumbria.
	The transport of all radioactive material, including INF, is governed by the stringent internationally agreed standards recommended by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), an agency appointed by the United Nations to oversee all aspects of the peaceful uses of atomic energy worldwide.
	Packages (flasks) used to transport INF are designed to withstand a very severe impact followed by severe fire. The safety of INF shipments is therefore secured by the design and build quality of the packages used and not by the particular mode of transport used or route travelled. The Department for Transport (DfT) is required to ensure that the design of INF flasks meets the IAEA standards and issues approval certificates to this effect.
	 (a) In addition to approving the design of flasks, monitoring activities regarding the transport of INF carried out by the DfT consist of
	(i) The commissioning of reports on the radiological impact of the transport of radioactive material under normal and abnormal conditions. The latest report looking at the rail transport of INF under normal conditions is Survey into the Radiological Impact of the Normal Transport of Radioactive Material in the UK by Road and Rail, NRPB-W66. Reports detailing abnormal events involving the transport of radioactive material in the UK have been published annually since 1989 the latest being Radiological Consequences Resulting from Accidents and Incidents Involving the Transport of Radioactive Materials in the UK2005 Review, HPA-RPD-021. Copies of these and similar reports have been placed in the House Libraries and recent ones are available via the DfT website at the following address:
	http://www.dft.gov.uk/pgr/freight/dgt1/guidance/guidance7class/theradiologicalimpactofthetr1178
	The conclusion of these reports is that the radiological impact of INF transport is low.
	(ii) Periodic radiological surveys of the extent of radioactive contamination on the external surfaces of INF flasks. These surveys are carried out by suitable qualified and experienced personnel working under contract to the DfT and are an independent check to those routinely carried out by the industry. These surveys confirm that incidences of external contamination in excess of the regulatory limits are low and their radiological impact is minimal. Events where the industry has reported contamination in excess of the regulatory limits are detailed in the reports referred to in (i) above.
	(iii) Compliance assurance audits of organisations and their Quality management systems involved in the transport of INF.
	 (b) A condition of being approved by the Office for Civil Nuclear Security (OCNS), part of the Health and Safety Executive, is that all carriers must meet regulatory or defined requirements which require all such movements to be notified to the OCNS at least seven days in advance of the proposed date of transport and to be tracked throughout the course of the transport.
	In the case of INF transported by train, such tracking is carried out by one or more of the following methods:
	(i) Train Operations Processing System (TOPS). TOPS is a UK rail network-wide computerised system managed by Network Rail which records the expected and actual passing time of all trains. TOPS monitors trains along their preset routes and, in this case, alerts whenever a train is delayed by more than 60 seconds or deviates from its set route,
	(ii) Global Positioning System (GPS) satellite tracking, monitored by the carrier in accordance with parameters set by OCNS.
	(iii) Mobile phone communications, again monitored by the carrier in accordance with parameters set by OCNS.

Regional Development Agencies: Finance

Mark Prisk: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what the budget is of each regional development agency for 2007-08; how much each has spent in each year since 1999; and how much was spent on  (a) staffing and  (b) administration by each in each year.

Stephen Timms: The Regional Development Agencies' grant in aid budgets from 1999 to 2007 are set out in the following tables.
	The tables also show how much RDAs spent on staffing and administration from
	1999 to 2007.
	
		
			  Grant in aid budgets 
			   million 
			  RDA( 1)  1999-2000  2000-01  2001-02  2002-03  2003-04 
			 Advantage West Midlands 103 113 141 204 240 
			 East of England Development Agency 30 36 55 88 80 
			 East Midlands Development Agency 41 67 86 101 117 
			 London Development Agency  235 266 295 317 
			 North West Development Agency 141 156 270 274 309 
			 One North East 92 98 158 193 223 
			 South East England Development Agency 63 73 97 112 136 
			 South West of England Regional Development Agency 43 62 85 103 99 
			 Yorkshire Forward 121 125 207 211 244 
		
	
	
		
			  RDA( 1)  2004-05  2005-06  2006-07  2007-08 
			 Advantage West Midlands 217 310 281 291 
			 East of England Development Agency 84 139 140 137 
			 East Midlands Development Agency 119 168 161 176 
			 London Development Agency 328 371 416 374 
			 North West Development Agency 367 402 402 395 
			 One North East 227 254 273 277 
			 South East England Development Agency 110 165 172 163 
			 South West of England Regional Development Agency 113 168 171 159 
			 Yorkshire Forward 288 310 313 304 
			 (1) RDAs have other sources of income other than grant in aid (including European funding and coalfields funding). 
		
	
	
		
			  RDA Staffing and Admin 
			  000 
			  RDAs  1999-2000  2000-01  2001-02  2002-03 
			  Staffing(1) Admin(2) Staffing Admin Staffing Admin Staffing Admin 
			 AWM 4,058 5,142 5,493 6,391 6,752 6,271 9,159 6,457 
			 EEDA 2,284 2,130 3,289 2,204 4,155 2,883 5,435 3,664 
			 EMDA 3,771 4,483 4,284 4,081 4,830 3,991 5,569 5,611 
			 LDA   2,719 2,971 5,365 5,592 8,613 8,079 
			 NWDA 6,147 4,721 7,569 5,655 8,489 8,080 10,561 8,562 
			 ONE 7,020 9,563 7,791 8,199 8,139 8,519 9,186 9,689 
			 SEEDA 3,438 3,576 4,680 4,182 5,757 5,068 8,118 6,941 
			 SWRDA 5,466 3,618 5,711 3,089 6,518 3,059 7,662 6,696 
			 YF 5,645 6,692 6,278 8,589 8,227 6,674 10,004 6,604 
		
	
	
		
			   2003-04  2004-05  2005-06  2006-07 
			   Staffing  Admin  Staffing  Admin  Staffing  Admin  Staffing  Admin 
			 AWM 10,940 7,259 14,142 6,908 14,954 6,357 15,238 5,297 
			 EEDA 5,810 4,037 7,658 4,679 9,739 5,410 11,382 5,582 
			 EMDA 6,851 6,027 7,410 6,106 9,023 6,779 10,084 6,303 
			 LDA 12,980 1,575 19,186 11,423 21,180 10,877 30,656 7,004 
			 NWDA 13,801 8,186 15,739 7,896 16,780 8,900 19,321 10,382 
			 ONE 12,288 9,736 13,360 8,879 14,868 8,880 15,394 9,434 
			 SEEDA 12,629 7,519 13,606 7,525 15,342 6,998 17,248 7,091 
			 SWRDA 9,541 6,802 9,950 6,522 11,842 7,385 13,538 8,408 
			 YF 12,093 7,317 13,179 6,918 15,129 7,063 17,957 5,770 
			 (1) Costs include salaries, national insurance, pensions, staff and board members. (2) Administration costs are those costs incurred in the running of the organisation, excluding salaries.

Severn Barrage

Jennifer Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what feasibility studies have been commissioned by his Department on the possibility of  (a) a tidal barrage and  (b) tidal lagoons in the Severn Estuary since the Sustainable Development Commission published its report Turning the Tide: Tidal Power in the UK; and if he will make a statement.

Malcolm Wicks: holding answer 10 December 2007
	 On 21 September my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State announced a new feasibility study that will look at the potential for tidal power in the Severn Estuary.
	The detailed remit of the feasibility study is now being scoped and a statement on this will be made early in the new year.

Small Businesses: Greater London

Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform how many small businesses in London applied for small business tax relief in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement.

John Healey: I have been asked to reply 
	as Minister responsible for business rates.
	The information requested is not available. However, as at 31 December 2006, 43,100 businesses in London were in receipt of small business rate relief.

Tidal Power: Finance

Brian Jenkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what funding his Department has allocated to the development of tidal power for the production of energy in the last five years.

Malcolm Wicks: The following table gives the amount of funding committed to the development of tidal power technologies by the Department for each of the last five years.
	
		
			   Total committed () 
			 2003-04 6,733,304 
			 2004-05 5,957,407 
			 2005-06 2,106,788 
			 2006-07 4,384,485 
			 2007-08 4,059,995

Tidal Power: River Severn

Steve Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what progress has been made in his Department's review of the options for Severn tidal power; when he expects the review to be completed; and what estimate he has made of the likely effects on  (a) the capital cost of a tidal power scheme and  (b) levels of UK carbon dioxide emissions of each year which passes before a scheme comes into effect.

Malcolm Wicks: holding answer 13 December 2007
	 I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave the hon. Member for Tewkesbury (Mr. Robertson) on 3 December 2007,  Official Report, column 908W.

Tidal Power: Swansea

Jennifer Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what measures are being considered by the Department to support the proposed tidal lagoon demonstration project in Swansea; and if he will make a statement.

Malcolm Wicks: holding answer 10 December 2007
	 On 19 November my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister announced that Tidal Lagoons (below 1 gigawatt capacity) such as that proposed for Swansea Bay will be included within the scope of the Renewables Obligation.
	The detail of any changes to the Renewables Obligation will be published early next year.

DUCHY OF LANCASTER

Admiralty House

Eric Pickles: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster whether the provision of official ministerial residences in Admiralty House includes the supply of  (a) linen and laundry services,  (b) porters,  (c) internal plants,  (d) catering services,  (e) telephones,  (f) cable or satellite TV and  (g) internet access.

Edward Miliband: The provision of services to ministerial residences is a matter for occupying departments in accordance with the ministerial code.
	The charge paid to Cabinet Office by occupying departments covers a share of the capital charge, utilities, security guards as well as a facilities management charge which includes cleaning of the buildings' common parts.

Admiralty House: Empty Property

Eric Pickles: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster for how long the official ministerial residences in Admiralty House previously occupied by the  (a) right hon. Member for Ashfield (Mr. Hoon) and  (b) the right hon. Member for Derby, South (Margaret Beckett) have been empty.

Gillian Merron: I refer the hon. Member to the answers given by my right hon. Friend the Member for North-West Durham (Hilary Armstrong) to the hon. Member for North-East Hertfordshire (Mr. Heald) 6 November 2006,  Official Report, column 860W and to the hon. Member for Meriden (Mrs. Spelman) on 23 October 2006,  Official Report, column 1631W. Further to these answers, my right hon. Friend, the former Lord Chancellor's use of the flat for official entertaining and other engagements ceased on his departure from ministerial office.

Charity Commission: Finance

Mark Hoban: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what the budget of the Charity Commission was in  (a) each of the last five years and  (b) each year of the 2007 comprehensive spending review period.

Phil Hope: This is a matter for the Charity Commission as the Non-Ministerial Government Department responsible for the regulation of charities in England and Wales. The Chief Executive of the Charity Commission will write to the hon. Member and a copy of his reply will be placed in the Library for the reference of Members.

Christmas

Malcolm Bruce: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what his Department's policy is on the selection of  (a) real and  (b) artificial Christmas trees for his Department's festive decorations; and how real trees are disposed of.

Gillian Merron: A mixture of real and artificial Christmas trees are situated at certain points throughout the Cabinet Office Estate. Real Christmas trees are disposed of in an environmentally friendly manner.

Complaints

Mark Hoban: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how many complaints from civil servants against  (a) special advisers and  (b) Ministers were formally recorded in his Department since 27 June.

Gillian Merron: I refer the hon. Member to my reply of Monday 19 November 2007,  Official Report, column 596-7W to the hon. Member for Lewes (Norman Baker).

Data Protection

Eric Pickles: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what the terms of reference are of the review data sharing in the public sector.

Gillian Merron: The terms of reference for the review Sir Gus O'Donnell is leading on data handling procedures in Government are:
	To examine:
	the procedures in Departments and agencies for the protection of data
	their consistency with current Government-wide policies and standards;
	the arrangements for ensuring that procedures are being fully and properly implemented;
	and to make recommendations on improvements that should be made

Departmental Correspondence

John Horam: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what guidelines he has provided to Government Departments on responding to letters and e-mails from  (a) members of the public and  (b) right hon. and hon. Members (i) acknowledging receipt of the correspondence and (ii) giving the time allowed for a substantive answer to be sent.

Edward Miliband: I refer the hon. Member to the answer provided to the hon. Member for Castle Point (Bob Spink) on 22 October 2007,  Official Report, column 45W.

Departmental ICT

James Brokenshire: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how many attempted hacking or suspected cyber attacks or other malicious computer security breaches were committed against the computer systems at No. 10 Downing street in each of the last three years for which information is available; and if he will make a statement.

William Hague: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how many attempted breaches of  (a) Government and  (b) private systems as a result of cyber-based espionage were recorded in the UK in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement.

Edward Miliband: It is not in the interests of the UK's national security for Departments to confirm whether they hold information about attacks against their IT systems. This would enable individuals to deduce how successful the UK is in detecting these attacks and so assist such persons in testing the effectiveness of the UK's IT defences.

Departmental Manpower

Charles Walker: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what the full-time equivalent headcount in his Department is; what the forecast full-time equivalent headcount for his Department is for  (a) 2008-09 and  (b) 2009-10; and if he will make a statement.

Edward Miliband: Full-time equivalent headcounts for every Department, including the Cabinet Office, are published on a quarterly basis by the Office for National Statistics as part of its reporting on civil service statistics. At the end of the third quarter of 2007 the Office for National Statistics reported that the Cabinet Office (excluding agencies) employed 1270 full-time equivalents.
	The Cabinet Office expects to deliver sufficient efficiencies to reach the full-time equivalent headcount target set for the Department in Spending Review 2004.
	No formal forecast of full-time equivalent headcount has been made for the 2008-09 and 2009-10 financial years. For planning purposes the Department has assumed that there is likely to be a slight decline in full-time equivalent headcount numbers after 31 March 2008, reflecting the outcome of the comprehensive spending review of 2007.

Departmental Manpower

Tom Brake: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how many and what proportion of posts in  (a) his Department,  (b) No. 10 Downing street and  (c) the Office of the Leader of the House were recategorised from back office to frontline posts as classified by the Gershon efficiency review in each year since 2004.

Gillian Merron: No. 10 Downing street and the Office of the Leader of the House are part of the Cabinet Office. The majority of the posts in the Cabinet Office are posts that are categorised as Policy, Funding and Regulation posts under the definitions used by the 2004 Gershon Independent Review of Public Sector Efficiency. Neither the Gershon Review nor the Government response to that review set any target on the move of back office posts into frontline delivery for the Cabinet Office or the Office of the Leader of the House, and no posts have been categorised or re-categorised as either back office or frontline posts since 2004.

Departmental Ministerial Policy Advisors

Francis Maude: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster 
	(1)  how many full-time equivalent civil servants work in support of  (a) the Cabinet Office and  (b) the Prime Minister's special advisers; and how many did so in April;
	(2)  what the office costs of the special advisers in  (a) the Cabinet Office and  (b) No. 10 Downing Street were in (i) 2005-06 and (ii) 2006-07, including the costs of support staff.

Edward Miliband: I refer the right hon. Member to my answer to the hon. Member for Fareham (Mr. Hoban) on 22 November 2007,  Official Report, columns 1095-96w. One civil servant supported the special advisers in my predecessor's office in April 2007.
	In relation to No. 10, support staff assist a range of individuals, so it is not possible to provide information on how many full-time equivalent civil servants work in support of the Prime Minister's special advisers. All support given to special advisers is in accordance with the Civil Service Management Code and the Code of Conduct for Special Advisers.
	Information on the office costs for special advisers cannot be disaggregated from overall office administration costs. Administration costs are accounted for in the relevant Cabinet Office annual resource accounts.

Departmental Training

Mark Hoban: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what the  (a) dates,  (b) locations and  (c) costs were of the last four awaydays of his Department's departmental board.

Gillian Merron: Since taking post as Cabinet Secretary and Head of the Home Civil Service in August 2005, Sir Gus O'Donnell reformulated the Cabinet Office Board. There have since been two Board awaydays:
	 2006
	Date: 23-24 February
	Location: Down Hall Country House Hotel, Hertfordshire
	Total cost (inc. VAT): 3,183.65
	 2007
	Date: 19-20 April
	Location: Sunningdale Park
	Total cost (inc. VAT): 4,303.70

Freedom of Information: Databases

Mark Hoban: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what fields of data there are in the Cabinet Office Freedom of Information database.

Gillian Merron: The Cabinet Office has a case management system to assist in the processing of correspondence received, including Freedom of Information requests. The fields of data include the type of correspondence, the date received and the date on which a response is due.

Illegal Immigrants

Damian Green: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how many illegal immigrants have been discovered working for  (a) the Cabinet Office and  (b) the Office of the Leader of the House of Commons in the last year for which figures are available.

Gillian Merron: In the 12-month period 1 December 2006 to 30 November 2007, the Department discovered that one individual engaged through a work permit on a fee paid basis was an overstayer and the individual's contract was terminated with immediate effect.

Legislation: Public Participation

Shailesh Vara: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how much has been spent on  (a) advertising and  (b) conducting the Government's consultation on its draft legislative programme.

Edward Miliband: The Cabinet Office has spent 85,070 on the production of the Green Paper 'The Governance of BritainThe Government's Draft Legislative Programme' and the day-long deliberative forum on the draft legislative programme.

Manpower: Prime Minister

Norman Lamb: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster when a response will be sent to the letter of 19 September from the hon. Member for North Norfolk on Downing Street staff and requesting an internal review of a response to a Freedom of Information Act request.

Edward Miliband: The internal review requested by the hon. Member for North Norfolk of his freedom of information request is under way and a response will be issued shortly.

Members' Correspondence

Mark Harper: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how many letters his Department received from hon. Members and Peers in each session of Parliament since 1997.

Edward Miliband: The Cabinet Office, on an annual basis, publishes a report to Parliament on the performance of Departments in replying to Members' and peers correspondence. Information relating to 2007 will be published as soon as it has been collated. The report for 2006 was published on 28 March 2007,  Official Report, columns 101-04WS. Reports for earlier years are available in the Library of the House.

Office of the Third Sector: Finance

Mark Hoban: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what the budget of the Office of the Third Sector was in  (a) each of the last five years and  (b) each year of the 2007 comprehensive spending review period.

Phil Hope: The Office of the Third Sector was established in May 2006. The budget of the Office of the Third Sector since its inception is as follows:
	
		
			   Budget ( million) 
			 2006-07 135.1 
			 2007-08 135.8 
		
	
	The budgets for each year of the spending review is as follows:
	
		
			   Budget ( million) 
			 2008-09 168.7 
			 2009-10 172.3 
			 2010-11 176.0

Repairs and Maintenance: Greater London

Eric Pickles: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how many planning applications the Cabinet Office has submitted for permission for work on its properties in London in the last 12 months; to what building the applications pertained; and what the purpose was of the applications.

Edward Miliband: Information on how many planning applications the Cabinet Office has submitted for permission for work on its properties in London in the last 12 months; to what building the applications pertained; and what the purpose was of the applications, can be found at the Westminster city council website
	http://www.westminster.gov.uk/environment/planning/applications/search/

Strategy Unit

Mark Hoban: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster pursuant to the answer of 15 November 2007,  Official Report, column 396W, on the Strategy Unit, what time-limited projects are being undertaken by the unit; and what the  (a) start date and  (b) expected end date of each such project is.

Gillian Merron: The Strategy Unit has been working on two time-limited projects since July 2007: joint work with the Department for Children, Schools and Families on childhood wellbeing in support of the Children's Plan, published on 11 December; and work with the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, the Department of Health, the Food Standards Agency and other Departments on a study of food and food policy in the UK, due to conclude in spring 2008.

JUSTICE

Asylum: Children

David Kidney: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what procedures he  (a) has put in place and  (b) plans to put in place to expedite (i) trials and (ii) asylum hearings involving children.

Maria Eagle: The listing of cases in the criminal courts is a judicial function. The Lord Chief Justice issued guidance in July 2005 outlining the practices to be adopted when listing cases in the magistrates courts and Crown court. It says priority should be accorded to the trial of young defendants and specific account taken of whether they are remanded on bail or in custody.
	The persistent young offenders (PYO) pledge was established in 1998 to halve the average time from arrest to sentence for persistent young offenders from 142 days to 71 days. Under this pledge the Government remain committed to prioritising the prosecution of persistent young offenders.
	The Government are also committed to ensuring that cases dealt with in the youth court are dealt with as swiftly and effectively as possible and are considering implementing the principles of the Criminal Justice Simple, Speedy, Summary (CJSSS) programme to speed up the youth court. A recent test at Balham youth court suggested that CJSSS could help achieve significant improvements in the time taken from charge to disposal of a case. I am placing a copy of the evaluation in the Library of the House.
	The Asylum and Immigration Tribunal aims to process and hear all appeals quickly and efficiently. The current target for asylum appeals is six weeks from receipt of the appeal to determination by an immigration judge. There is therefore no need for special arrangements to expedite asylum appeals involving children, although there is guidance on the conduct of hearings involving unaccompanied minors.

Cambridgeshire Probation Service

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what the staff establishment of the Cambridgeshire Probation Service was in each year since 1997.

Maria Eagle: Information is not available for the full period requested. Data collected prior to April 2003 were collated by a different source and were incomplete in some categories and therefore are not directly comparable with the figures collected since that time.
	The following table shows the staff in post in Cambridgeshire Probation Area from 2003 onwards.
	
		
			  Staff in post 
			   Cambridgeshire  NPS 
			 2003 225.30 19,164.00 
			 2004 223.12 19,563.00 
			 2005 242.18 20,584.00 
			 2006 251.03 21,371.00 
			 2007 247.66 21,268.00

Cambridgeshire Probation Service

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what estimate he has made of the likely effect on  (a) staff numbers in and  (b) recruitment to the Cambridgeshire Probation Service of his Department's recent budget settlement in the period 2008-09 to 2011-12; and if he will make a statement.

Maria Eagle: The information supplied by the Cambridgeshire Probation Service shows that it has not yet completed detailed business planning for 2008-09 and beyond. However, early indications are that, in the light of the improved settlement from the 'flat cash' budget that was originally proposed, there will be no reductions in staffing establishment apart from those achieved through efficiency measures.

Cambridgeshire Probation Service

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what his estimate is of the budgets for the Cambridgeshire Probation Service for  (a) 2008-09,  (b) 2009-10 and  (c) 2010-11; and if he will make a statement.

Maria Eagle: The main resource grant planning figures, which comprise the vast majority of the probation budget, have recently been issued to regional offender managers and probation boards to enable service level agreements (SLA) discussions to commence. Other smaller components of the probation budgets are in the process of being worked through pending updated information. The current planning assumption for Cambridgeshire is an increase of 3.41 per cent. for 2008-09 over 2007-08 on the main resource grant, which will be subject to confirmation when SLA negotiations are completed. Budgets for 2009-10 and 2010-11 have not yet been set.

Cambridgeshire Probation Service

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many  (a) compulsory and  (b) voluntary redundancies of staff he estimates the Cambridgeshire Probation Service will make in 2008-09; and if he will make a statement.

Maria Eagle: The Information supplied by Cambridgeshire Probation Service shows that it is not expecting to make any voluntary or compulsory redundancies in 2008-09.

Chelmsford Crown Court: Parking

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice 
	(1)  how many car parking places are reserved for  (a) judges,  (b) prosecution barristers,  (c) defence barristers,  (d) members of the public and  (e) staff at Chelmsford Crown court; what the total cost is of providing such spaces; what criteria are used for allocating car parking spaces to (i) judges, (ii) prosecution barristers, (iii) defence barristers, (iv) members of the public and (v) staff; what recent representations he has received about car parking in courts; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  what parking facilities are available at Chelmsford Crown court for victims of crime; what recent representations he has received about this issue; and if he will make a statement.

Maria Eagle: There are 46 car park spaces at Chelmsford Crown court. There are up to six parking spaces available for judges and four for magistrates. There are eight parking spaces for court users with disabilities who are blue badge holders. Otherwise no spaces are provided specifically for  (b) prosecution barristers,  (c) defence barristers,  (d) members of the public.  (e) There are approximately 32 members of staff from the court and other Criminal Justice Agencies for whom car parking spaces are available. There are no costs attached to providing parking spaces as they form part of the overall court complex.
	The criteria used for allocating car parking spaces are that people are (i) either judges or magistrates, (v) staff who work permanently on site at Chelmsford Crown court and who drive to work; or they can be allocated, on request by Court users who are disabled blue badge holders; including barristers for the (ii) prosecution, (iii) defence and (iv) members of the public.
	There have been no recorded complaints concerning car parking.
	There are no car parking spaces specifically allocated to victims of crime at Chelmsford Crown Court, except for those that have a disability. Departmental guidance on car parking is to provide parking for sensitive witnesses where space is available.
	No recent representations have been received on this issue.

Chelmsford Crown Court: Witnesses

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what the average waiting time is at Chelmsford Crown court for persons giving evidence; and what the average time taken was in  (a) 1996,  (b) 1998,  (c) 2001,  (d) 2005 and  (e) 2006.

Maria Eagle: The latest and historical figures, since records have been available, from Her Majesty's Courts Service witness survey are shown as follows:
	
		
			  Estimated waiting time 
			  Survey date  Chelmsford  England and Wales 
			 November 1998 2 hours 56 minutes 2 hours 53 minutes 
			 June 2001 2 hours 33 minutes 2 hours 34 minutes 
			 June 2005 3 hours 33 minutes 2 hours 22 minutes 
			 June 2006 2 hours 37 minutes 2 hours 25 minutes 
			 June 2007 2 hours 49 minutes 2 hours 18 minutes 
		
	
	Data for the average waiting time for persons giving evidence is obtained from the biannual witness survey which is carried out over two weeks in June and November every year. It covers all witnesses who attended the Crown court, whether or not they were actually called to give evidence. We do not currently hold figures for the time taken to give evidence centrally.
	Witness waiting times are affected by several factors, for example the times that witnesses are asked to attend, how many witnesses there are in a trial and what happens in the courtroom. There could be unexpected lengthy legal argument or other delays on the day, perhaps caused by the defendant not attending. These estimates should all be used with caution as the number of witnesses surveyed was less than 100 for each survey at Chelmsford Crown court, meaning that margins of error will be wide.

Communications Act 2003

James Brokenshire: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many  (a) prosecutions have been brought and  (b) convictions obtained for offences under section 127(1) of the Communications Act 2003 in the last three years for which figures are available.

Maria Eagle: Information on the number of defendants proceeded against at magistrates courts and found guilty at all courts for offences under section 127 of the Communications Act 2003 are provided in the following table which covers the years 2004-2006.
	It is not possible to separate offences under section 127(1) of the Communications Act 2003 from other offences under section 127 of the same act.
	
		
			  Number of defendants proceeded against at magistrates courts and found guilty at all courts for improper use of public electronic communications network under the Communications Act 2003 England and Wales 2002-2004( 1,2) 
			   Proceeded against  Found guilty 
			 2004 214 143 
			 2005 355 260 
			 2006 550 377 
			 (1 )These data are provided on the principal offence basis. (2) Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts and police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used.  Source: Court Proceedings DatabaseOffice for Criminal Justice Reform

Contact Orders

David Kidney: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice 
	(1)  what assessment he has made of the durability of agreements on child contact reached through in-court conciliation; and what steps he is taking to reduce the number of such cases returning to court shortly after a child contact agreement has been reached;
	(2)  what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the in-court conciliation pilots in diverting child contact cases from contested court proceedings;
	(3)  what effect agreements reached through in-court conciliation have had on the welfare of children in child contact cases.

Bridget Prentice: In March 2006 the Government published research by Dr. Liz Trinder of the university of East Anglia on in-court conciliation in three courts in England. This looked at the process and overall effectiveness of conciliation and examined the relative effectiveness of three contrasting models; 125 cases were examined immediately following the conciliation meeting and again six months later. A further study examined 117 of these cases to assess the position two years on. The Government published the findings of this further study on 21 November.
	At the two-year follow-up, 79 per cent. of parents had an agreement about contact. More children were having overnight contact and the overall amount of contact per child had increased since the initial conciliation meeting. However, 60 per cent. of agreements made at the original conciliation meeting had been changed or broken down. Analysis suggests that this was due to one or more of the adults or children not supporting the agreement rather than a change in circumstances. In 40 per cent. of cases there had been further litigation; 9.4 per cent. of parents reported that their case was currently active, a reduction from 25.6 per cent. at the six-month follow-up.
	To provide ongoing support to parents and help prevent a return to court, the courts can make Family Assistance Orders (FAOs). On 1 October 2007 the Government implemented section 6 of the Children and Adoption Act 2006. FAOs may now be made for 12 months rather than six, and are not restricted to exceptional cases.
	The 2006 Act also contains provisions to enable the courts to direct parties to take part in contact activities during the court stage and before contact is formally agreed. These activities will provide parents with access to more therapeutic services designed to help them overcome some of the underlying issues they face, which can act as barriers to co-parenting and to making contact work. We will announce shortly the timetable for implementing these and other provisions in the Act.
	The research found that 76 per cent. of parents in the study reached a full or partial agreement immediately following conciliation. In most of these cases the court will have made an order for contact with the consent of the parties, avoiding a contested final hearing. The Children and Family Court Advisory Support Service reports that in 2006-07 its dispute resolution work in these cases (focused mainly on the delivery of in-conciliation) achieved a full or partial agreement in 59.4 per cent. of cases going through the courts.
	The research concludes that child wellbeing is related to the quality of the relationship between the parents. While parental relationships had improved a little for some, this improvement was modest and the majority of parents continued to report a negative relationship that had not improved since the original conciliation meeting. Contact activities will help to equip these parents with the skills and understanding they need to be more effective co-parents.

Death: Mental Health

Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many inquests have been held in each of the last five years into deaths of people detained under the Mental Health Act in NHS mental health accommodation; and in how many of those inquests there was a jury.

Bridget Prentice: The Secretary of State for Health in his answer on 11 December reported that information provided by the Mental Health Act Commission indicated that 377 unnatural deaths of in-patients in NHS mental health accommodation took place between 2002 and 2006. Information on the number of inquests held on these deaths is not held centrally.
	The Ministry of Justice does not ask coroners to make statistical returns on inquests resulting from deaths of patients detained under the Mental Health Act 1983.

Death: Mental Health

Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice for what reasons there is no requirement for a coroner to summon a jury for inquests into the deaths of people detained in NHS mental health accommodation under the Mental Health Act; and if he will make a statement.

Bridget Prentice: Section 8(3) of the Coroners Act 1988 requires the coroner to hold a jury inquest where he has jurisdiction and the person has died in prison, in police custody or in circumstances requiring an inquest under any other Act. Deaths of people detained under the Mental Health Act 1983 are not specified in the Coroners Act 1988 Section 8(3), and are not regarded as automatically requiring an inquest to be held. In the Coroners Bill, which will be brought before Parliament as soon as time allows, it is intended that the death of any person in lawful detention, including those detained under the Mental Health Act, will be investigated by a coroner.

Departmental Equality

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how much has been spent by his Department  (a) in total and  (b) on staff costs on promoting equality and diversity in each of the last three years for which figures are available; and how many people are employed by his Department for this purpose.

Maria Eagle: The Ministry of Justice, which was created on 9 May 2007, is committed to embedding equality and diversity in all our policies and practices as we recognise and value the diversity of our staff and customers.
	The information requested is not recorded centrally and to supply the information would involve contacting each division across the Department at disproportionate cost. I am, however, able to provide information on dedicated equality and diversity teams within the Ministry of Justice.
	The Equality, Diversity and Human Rights Division, which covers staff in the former Department for Constitutional Affairs (DCA), has a budget for 2007-08 of 2,029,256. The projected staff cost is 1,505,010. The Division, which runs six staff networks and provides advice on equality and diversity issues, has a staff complement of 36.
	Three Equality and Diversity Teams, transferred from the Home Office on 9 May 2007, are responsible for staff employed in the Prison Service and for equality and diversity policy in the Prison Service and National Offender Management Service. The teams have a combined budget for 2007-08 of 3,647,000 of which 1,925,652 is for staff costs. The teams employ a total of 40 staff.
	In 2006-07 the budget for the Corporate Diversity Unit of the former DCA was 2,183,116 of which 1,053,869 was spent on staff costs. For 2005-06 the respective figures were 2,239,629 and 875,806.

Departmental Manpower

Theresa May: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many  (a) men and  (b) women of each civil service grade are employed by his Department.

Maria Eagle: The latest figures for  (a) men and  (b) women within each civil service grade is reflected in Table A (Ministry of Justice' Headquarters) and Table B (Ministry of Justice' Agencies) as follows.
	Table A: The table reflects the figures within the Ministry of Justice' Headquarters as at reference date 30 September 2007.
	
		
			  Ministry of Justice Headquarters 
			  Civil Service Grade  M  F 
			 AA 17 19 
			 AO 116 270 
			 EO 176 257 
			 Fast streamer 19 17 
			 HEO 231 310 
			 SEO 183 200 
			 Grade 6, 7 231 246 
			 SCS 49 39 
			 Unknown band 0 3 
			  Note: Unknown bands are former magistrates courts posts, which do not equate with Civil Service grades, and whose grading is yet to be finalised under the current pay and grading review. 
		
	
	Table B: The table reflects the figures within the Ministry of Justice Agencies as at reference date 30 September 2007.
	
		
			  Ministry of Justice' Agencies 
			  Grade band  M  F 
			  Her Majesty's Prisons Service   
			 AA 5,473 3,724 
			 AO 21,314 9,577 
			 EO 2,644 2,039 
			 Fast streamer 0 0 
			 HEO 391 344 
			 SEO 1,663 1,068 
			 Grade 6, 7 400 225 
			 SCS 35 8 
			 Unknown band 0 0 
			
			  Her Majesty's Courts Service   
			 AA 1,566 2,616 
			 AO 2,406 7,330 
			 EO 1,038 2,811 
			 Fast streamer 4 3 
			 HEO 386 828 
			 SEO 704 1,307 
			 Grade 6, 7 459 392 
			 SCS 49 18 
			 Unknown band 99 235 
			
			  Office of the Public Guardian   
			 AA 8 8 
			 AO 64 53 
			 EO 51 73 
			 Fast streamer 0 1 
			 HEO 19 23 
			 SEO 15 12 
			 Grade 6, 7 6 6 
			 SCS 1 1 
			 Unknown band 0 0 
			
			  Tribunals Service   
			 AA 143 183 
			 AO 712 1,324 
			 EO 164 330 
			 Fast streamer 1 3 
			 HEO 53 115 
			 SEO 28 30 
			 Grade 6, 7 35 32 
			 SCS 7 4 
			 Unknown band 0 1 
			
			  Scotland Office and Offices of Advocate General   
			 AA 3 1 
			 AO 4 4 
			 EO 0 1 
			 Fast streamer 1 1 
			 HEO 3 1 
			 SEO 1 1 
			 Grade 6, 7 4 4 
			 SCS 5 1 
			 Unknown band 0 1 
			
			  Wales Office   
			 AA 1 1 
			 AO 3 6. 
			 EO 7 8 
			 Fast streamer 0 0 
			 HEO 5 5 
			 SEO 1 7 
			 Grade 6, 7 6 3 
			 SCS 4 0 
			 Unknown band 0 0 
			
			  Office for Criminal Justice Reform   
			 AA 0 0 
			 AO 3 10 
			 EO 35 27 
			 HEO 36 27 
			 SEO 34 21 
			 Grade 7 34 33 
			 Grade 6 18 7 
			 SCS 11 3 
			 Unknown band 21 23 
			
			  National Offender Management Service   
			 AA 13 19 
			 AO 80 177 
			 EO 113 162 
			 HEO 76 102 
			 SEO 161 108 
			 Grade 7 144 121 
			 Grade 6 81 46 
			 SCS 31 25 
			 Unknown band 89 19 
			  Note: Unknown bands are former magistrates courts posts, which do not equate with Civil Service grades, and whose grading is yet to be finalised under the current pay and grading review.

Departmental Recycling

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice 
	(1)  how much and what proportion of its waste his Department recycled in each of the last five years;
	(2)  what  (a) volume and  (b) percentage of its waste his Department recycled in each of the last five years.

Maria Eagle: As the Ministry of Justice was created in May 2007 this answer refers to the performance of the delivery bodies previously belonging to the Home Office and Department for Constitutional Affairs (DCA).
	HM Prison Service is implementing a structured waste management programme across the public sector managed prisons estate. Waste management and processing within prisons, in the main, includes setting in place waste management units employing prisoners in the separation and processing of materials from the waste stream for recycling.
	1. Financial year 2002-03 the total waste arising reported was 2,837 tonnes, the total waste processed for recycling was 1,081 tonnes providing an average percent of waste arising recycled to be 38 per cent. (Hazardous waste not included)
	2. Financial year 2003-04 the total waste arising reported was 4,800 tonnes, the total waste processed for recycling was 1,396 tonnes providing an average percent of waste arising recycled to be 29 per cent.
	3. Financial year 2004-05 the total waste arising reported was 9,229 tonnes, the total waste processed for recycling was 3,851 tonnes providing an average percent of waste arising recycled to be 42 per cent.
	4. Financial year 2005-06 the total waste arising reported was 12,868 tonnes, the total waste processed for recycling was 5,569 tonnes providing an average percent of waste arising recycled to be 43 per cent.
	5. Financial year 2006-07 the total waste arising reported was 15,960 tonnes, the total waste processed for recycling was 7,022 tonnes providing an average percent of waste arising recycled to be 44 per cent.
	The former DCA had a policy of recycling but did not collect any historical data on the amount of waste recycled. As part of the establishment of the Ministry of Justice, and to help measure progress towards the sustainable operations on the Government estate targets, a waste management strategy has been developed and is currently being implemented across the estate. The waste management strategy will enable the Department to increase the quantities of waste recycled and report on progress to the Sustainable Development Commission.

Departmental Responsibilities

David Heath: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what  (a) reviews,  (b) consultations and  (c) taskforces his Department is (i) responsible for and (ii) scheduled to undertake; on what date each (A) started and (B) is expected to be completed; and what the purpose is of each.

Maria Eagle: A list of ad hoc reviews, groups and taskforces that have commenced and those that have been announced by the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) but are yet to commence is set out in the following table. Consultations being conducted by the MoJ are published on the departmental website at:
	http://www.justice.gov.uk/publications/consultations.htm
	The purpose of each consultation is provided at the beginning of each paper.
	
		
			  Operated by Directorate/Agency  Provide name/details of review or taskforce  What is the purpose of the review or taskforce?  When is it planned to start and when is it due to finish?  Has a ministerial statement been made and when? 
			 An independent joint review of restraint commissioned by the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) and Department for Children, Schools and Families. The review is led by Peter Smallridge CBE and Andrew Williamson CBE. The review will consider policy and practice across all secure juvenile settings, taking account of the use of restraint in young offender institutions, secure training centres and secure children's homes. Ministers appointed the joint Chairs on 8 October. The chairs have been asked to report their recommendations by 4 April 2008. David Hanson made an announcement on 28 July 2007. 
			  
			 Review commissioned by the Prime Minister and not the Ministry of Justice. The staff and funding are provided by this Department. Goldsmith Review of Citizenship. To articulate more clearly the significance of citizenship, and develop recommendations to ensure that our approach to citizenship is appropriate for modern issues of migration, identity and civic participation. Started on 5 October, expected to report in spring 2008. Announced in Green Paper on Governance of Britain. 
			  
			 National Offender Management Service. Lord Carter's Review of the Prison System in England and Walesindependent third party review. To consider options for improving the balance between the supply of prison places and demand for them, and to make recommendations on how this could be achieved. Started in June 2007 and has just finished, on 5 December 2007. Ministerial oral statement made by Justice Secretary on 5 December, repeated by Lord Hunt in the Lords. 
			  
			 Cabinet Office led. Strategy Group leading in MoJ. Data handling in Government. To ensure that all Departments and all agencies check their procedures for the storage and use of data. Started on 21 November 2007. No closing date announced. Prime Minister announced on 21 November at PMQs. 
			  
			 Office for Criminal Justice ReformRace, Confidence and Justice Unit. Race For Justice. The Race for Justice programme of work aims to improve the service offered to victims of hate crime by CJS agencies. Started summer 2006expected to be completed by summer 2009. Launched by the Attorney-General and Gerry Sutcliffe via ministerial statements June 2006. 
			  
			 Office for Criminal Justice ReformBetter Trials Unit. Tackling Gangs Action Programme. We are inputting on the witness protection side. Ends 31 March 2008. Home Secretary made statement on 9 September. 
			  
			 Office for Criminal Justice ReformBetter Trials Unit. Anonymity in sex offence cases. To see if the Court of Appeal should be given the power to displace complainant anonymity where they consider that the allegation was false and malicious. The review was commenced following the Court of Appeal's decision on 12 September 2006 to quash the conviction in the case of Blackwell. It is expected to conclude early in 2008. Review announced in reply to PQ 29 November 2006. 
			  
			 Office for Criminal Justice ReformBetter Trials Unit. Third party disclosure review. To set up arrangements for the disclosure of material by third parties to criminal investigations, proceedings, and reviews of possible miscarriages of justice which enable practitioners to carry out the duties imposed on them more satisfactorily, and so make for a more modern and efficient criminal justice process. The review commenced in October 2005. No. 
			  
			 National Offender Management Service. A working group to be established to examine the advantages, disadvantages and feasibility of a structured sentencing framework and permanent sentencing commission. To be chaired by a senior member of the judiciary. As recommended by Lord Carter's Review of the Prison Systemto examine the advantages, disadvantages and feasibility of a structured sentencing framework and permanent sentencing commission. Government announced intention to set up working group on 5 December, in response to Lord Carter's Review of the Prison System. Intention is that it should report to the Lord Chancellor and Lord Chief Justice by summer 2008. Working group announced in Justice Secretary oral statement on 5 December. 
			  
			 Ministry of Justice Constitution Directorate. Review of voting systems. Its purpose is to review the experience of the new voting systems introduced in the United Kingdom to inform the debate about whether changes should be made to the electoral system for the House of Commons. This review commenced in May 2005 following the general election. Secretary of State for Justice is due to issue a written ministerial statement on 11 December announcing that the review is complete and that it will be made ready for publication in January 2008. 
			  
			 National Offender Management Service. Prison Population Taskforce. A small ad hoc team of officials, largely drawn from within NOMS, led at SCS level. To support the Department and Ministers in managing a very tight prison population in the period prior to the publication of Lord Carter's review of prisons. Started in August 2007. The taskforce requirement will be reviewed as part of the Department's consideration of its response to Lord Carter's review. No. 
			  
			 National Offender Management Service. Review of Childcare Resettlement Licence: (Release on Temporary Licence). The purpose of the review is to ensure that the new Childcare Resettlement Licence, which enables prisoners who are sole carers to be temporarily released to visit their children, is working as intended. A review of Prison Service Order 6300 Release on Temporary Licence focusing on Childcare Resettlement Licence was planned to be completed in 2007. The review began in the spring of 2007 but a planned completion date cannot be provided at present. No. 
			  
			 Office for Criminal Justice Reform. Failure to Appear warrant withdrawal practice. To identify FTA warrant withdrawal practice and amend current guidance if required. Started on 29 November. Aiming to conclude by end of January 2008. Announced by Secretary of State in written ministerial statement on 29 November. 
			  
			 Independent review commissioned by the Prime Minister and Jack Straw. The staff and funding to support the review are provided by this Department. Data Sharing Review. Led in independent capacity by Richard Thomas, the Information Commissioner, and Dr. Mark Walport, the Director of the Wellcome Trust. The review will consider whether there should be any changes to the way the Data Protection Act 1998 operates in the UK and the options for implementing any such changes. It will include recommendations on the powers and sanctions available to the regulator and courts in the legislation governing data sharing and data protection. It will also make recommendations on how data sharing policy should be developed in a way that ensures proper transparency, scrutiny and accountability. The review was announced on 25 October and is due to report in the first half of 2008. No. 
			  
			 Paul Dacre, Editor-in-Chief of Associated Newspapers and member of the Press Complaints Commissionworking with Sir Joe Pilling, former Permanent Secretary of the Northern Ireland Office, and the eminent historian David Cannadine, secretariat support from TNA. '30 year rule' review. To undertake a review of the '30 year rule' that governs the transfer of historical records to the National Archives. The review was announced by the Prime Minister in his Liberty speech on 25 Octoberthe review is due to report back in the first half of 2008. Review was announced on 25 October 2007 in the Prime Minister's Liberty Speech. 
			  
			 National Offender Management Service and Department of Health. Lord Bradley Review. To examine the extent to which offenders with mental health problems or learning disabilities could, in appropriate cases: be diverted from prison to other services; the barriers to such diversion; and, to make recommendations to Government, in particular on the organisation of effective court liaison and diversion arrangements and the services needed to support them. Announced 5 December as part of Carter Review announcement. The review would aim to complete its work by June 2008, having consulted widely, including, in particular, professional bodies and service providers. Ministerial oral statement made by Justice Secretary on 5 December, repeated by Lord Hunt in the Lords. 
			  
			 Ministry of Justice Ministry of Justice Third Sector Strategy forthcoming consultation. To enable the Ministry to finalise its Third Sector Strategy, underpinning how relationships will be taken forward to improve policies and partnerships between the Department and the third sector. Due to start shortly and last for a minimum of 12 weeks in keeping with the Government code of practice on consultation. No.

Domestic Violence

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what steps the Government have taken to reduce re-offending rates of domestic violence offenders.

Vernon Coaker: holding answer 13 December 2007
	I have been asked to reply.
	The Government's national delivery plan for domestic violence includes an objective relating to the management of perpetrators to reduce the risk of reoffending. The following steps have been taken to achieve this objective.
	Specialist domestic violence courts (SDVCs) place victims at the heart of the criminal justice system through a multi-agency response to domestic violence that affords greater victim safety while bringing perpetrators to account for their offences. We are planning to expand the number of specialist courts from 64 to around 100 SDVCs by April 2008.
	The development of three accredited treatment programmes for convicted domestic violence perpetrators: the Integrated Domestic Abuse programme (IDAP) and Community Domestic Violence programme (CDVP) have been rolled out across all probation areas in England and Wales. The Healthy Relationships Programme (HRP) is run by HM Prison Service. These programmes are based on evidence of what is most likely to work in reducing re-offending.
	The establishment of multi-agency risk assessment conferences which aim to increase the safety of identified high risk victims through a safety planning approach and to determine whether perpetrators pose a significant future risk.
	The continuing support of multi-agency public protection arrangements under which police, probation and prison services in each of the 42 areas in England and Wales work together with social care, health, housing and education services to assess and manage the most serious sexual and violent offenders. Some perpetrators of domestic abuse will
	be managed under these arrangements.

Head of the Management Selection and Succession Unit

Henry Bellingham: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what the role of the head of management selection and succession unit (MSSU) within HM Prison Service is; what responsibility the head of the MSSU has for making decisions on managed moves within the Service; and if he will make a statement.

Maria Eagle: The role of head of the MSSU in the Prison Service no longer exists. The MSSU, which is based in Wakefield, West Yorkshire, has responsibility for the design and delivery of assessment centres for the recruitment or internal promotion of prison staff. Under changes introduced in September this year, the former head of the MSSU became responsible only for the design of assessments and not for delivery. He plays no part in managed moves within the service, in either his current or his former role.
	However, the head of the MSSU reports to the head of resourcing within the HR directorate. The head of resourcing has responsibility for assisting both the operations and HR directors in the career management of senior operational managers. All appointments at this level are made on the direction of the deputy director general.

Highpoint Prison: Prisoners Escape

Richard Spring: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many prisoners absconded from Highpoint prison in each of the last six years.

Maria Eagle: Two prisoners have absconded from Highpoint prison during the past six years, in July 2002 and October 2006. Both prisoners were subsequently returned to custody.

Hollesley Bay Prison: Prisoners Escape

John Gummer: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how long each of those prisoners who have absconded from HM Prison Hollesley Bay in the last six years had left to serve of their sentences at the point at which they absconded.

Maria Eagle: The information provided is that held by the establishment and sets out the number of days left to serve at point of abscondence for each of the prisoners who absconded in that year. However the information relates to automatic release dates and a number of those included would have had possible earlier release dates on parole.
	Statistics are not available for the year 2002-03. Two prisoners held on immigration warrants and one life- sentenced prisoner also absconded during the period in question but had no fixed release date.
	
		
			  Number of days left to serve at point of abscond for each of the prisoners who absconded in year specified 
			   Days 
			 2003-04 128 
			  401 
			  20 
			  17 
			  172 
			  97 
			  38 
			  31 
			  69 
			  669 
			  833 
			  287 
			  52 
			  21 
			  637 
			  78 
			  76 
			  51 
			  192 
			  222 
			  81 
			  373 
			  542 
			  677 
			  789 
			  979 
			  261 
			  471 
			  209 
			  335 
			  333 
			  184 
			  204 
			  25 
			  61 
			   
			 2004-05 192 
			  20 
			  93 
			  225 
			  255 
			  375 
			  93 
			  22 
			  20 
			  357 
			  458 
			  708 
			  95 
			  228 
			  27 
			  261 
			  129 
			  114 
			  495 
			  487 
			  522 
			  222 
			  256 
			  120 
			  10 
			  140 
			  9 
			  253 
			  21 
			  18 
			  578 
			   
			   
			   
			   
			   
			 2005-06 121 
			  389 
			  551 
			  123 
			  87 
			  33 
			  68 
			  312 
			  42 
			  170 
			  675 
			  252 
			  466 
			  282 
			  691 
			   
			   
			   
			   
			   
			   
			   
			   
			   
			   
			   
			   
			   
			   
			   
			   
			   
			   
			   
			   
			   
			 2006-07 163 
			  738 
			  223 
			  408 
			  731 
			  720 
			  546 
			  25 
			  959 
			  10 
			  352 
			  272 
			  228 
			  59 
			  12 
			  319 
			  653 
			  229 
			  325 
			  379 
			  462 
			   
			   
			   
			   
			   
			   
			   
			   
			   
			   
			   
			   
			   
			   
			   
			 2007-08(1) 15 
			  125 
			  499 
			  134 
			  40 
			  210 
			  13 
			  169 
			  131 
			  47 
			   
			   
			   
			   
			   
			   
			   
			   
			   
			   
			   
			   
			   
			   
			   
			   
			   
			   
			   
			   
			   
			   
			   
			   
			   
			 (1) Figures recorded for 2007-08 are provisional and subject to change.

Informers

Henry Bellingham: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what training is required for the management of informants; what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of training provided by HM Prison Service for such management; what legislation governs the provision of such training; and if he will make a statement.

David Hanson: HM Prison Service provides training for staff involved in the management of informants. This is role specific for a handler, controller or authorising officer. The legislation does not require staff to be trained. I have not evaluated the training but HM Prison Service is considering the possibility of obtaining an independent assessment of informant management training.

Law: Wales

Cheryl Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice whether he is considering the merits of establishing a separate legal system for Wales; and if he will make a statement.

Michael Wills: The Government are committed to enhancing the legislative competence of the National Assembly for Wales by transferring powers through either framework powers in Westminster Bills or Orders in Council as provided for in the Government of Wales Act 2006. But there is a single legal jurisdiction in England and Wales, and the Government have no plans to change that.

Legal Services Commission: Information and Communications Technology

David Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what representations his Department has received from legal service practitioners on the effectiveness of the Legal Services Commission's new IT system for online reporting of case outcomes and solicitors' claims for costs; and if he will make a statement.

Maria Eagle: My Department has not received any direct representation from legal aid practitioners on this issue since the Legal Services Commission took the decision to close LSC online until further notice. However, the hon. Member for North-West Norfolk (Mr. Bellingham) has asked three parliamentary questions which were answered on 3 December 2007,  Official Report, column 1260W, and two hon. Members have written on behalf of legal aid solicitors in their constituencies.

Non-Departmental Public Bodies: Archives

Graham Stringer: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what his policy is on the archiving of papers of quangos that have been wound up.

Michael Wills: I am replying as the Minister responsible for The National Archives. The Government's policy on the archiving of records of quangos and other short-lived public record bodies when their work is finished is set out in The National Archives' guidance document, Discontinued and Transferred Functions. A copy of this is available on the National Archives website:
	http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/documents/stan_discontinued.pdf.

Offender Assessment System: Expenditure

Cheryl Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how much was spent on the offender assessment system for the Probation Service in England and Wales in each financial year since 2003-04.

Maria Eagle: The expenditure on the offender assessment system OASys) for the National Probation Service for the period April 2001 to March 2004 was 19.6 million. The total spend for both National Probation Service and Her Majesty's Prison Service in each financial year since 2001-02 is shown as follows:
	
		
			million 
			 2001-02 to 2003-04 34.1 
			 2004-05 7.1 
			 2005-06 6.9 
			 2006-07 6.1 
			 2007-08 5.6 
		
	
	We cannot separate out prison and probation costs after 2004-05.

Offenders: Crimes of Violence

Nick Herbert: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many offenders are awaiting trial for offences of  (a) murder,  (b) attempted murder and  (c) sexual offences allegedly committed while on end of custody licence.

David Hanson: For the period 29 June to 31 October 2007, NOMS has been notified of one offender who is currently awaiting trial for a sexual offence, allegedly committed while on end of custody licence.

Personal Injury Claims

Jonathan Djanogly: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice when he intends to publish the results of the consultation on case track limits and the claims process for personal injury claims.

Bridget Prentice: We intend to publish the response to consultation early in the new year. We have received a large number of detailed responses which are currently being analysed. In addition, meetings have been taking place between officials and stakeholders to discuss in more detail some of the issues arising from the consultation.

Prevention of Corruption Act 1906

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many  (a) males and  (b) females have been (i) prosecuted and (ii) convicted of an offence under the Prevention of Corruption Act 1906 in each year since 1997.

Maria Eagle: Data showing the number of males and females proceeded against and found guilty under the Prevention of Corruption Act 1906, in England and Wales, from 1997 to 2006 are in the following table.
	
		
			  Number of males and females proceeded against at magistrates courts and found guilty at all courts, under the Prevention of Corruption Act 1906( 1) , England and Wales, 1997 to 2006( 2,3,4) 
			   1997  1998  1999  2000  2001 
			  Sex  Proceeded against  Found guilty  Proceeded against  Found guilty  Proceeded against  Found guilty  Proceeded against  Found guilty  Proceeded against  Found guilty 
			 Male 11 19 12 11 7 8 14 18 8 19 
			 Female 0 1 0 0 0 0 2 1 0 1 
			 Total 11 20 12 11 7 8 16 19 8 20 
		
	
	
		
			   2002  2003  2004  2005  2006 
			  Sex  Proceeded against  Found guilty  Proceeded against  Found guilty  Proceeded against  Found guilty  Proceeded against  Found guilty  Proceeded against  Found guilty 
			 Male 10 9 12 6 2 4 1 1 5 10 
			 Female 0 1 0 0 1 0 0 0 1 0 
			 Total 10 10 12 6 3 4 1 1 6 10 
			 (1) The offence represented in the table is Corrupt transactions with agents, Section 1 of the 1906 Prevention of Corruption Act. (2) These data are on the principal offence basis. (3) Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts and police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used. (4) The found guilty column may exceed those proceeded against, as it may be the case that the proceedings in the magistrates court took place in the preceding year and they were found guilty at the Crown Court in the following year, or the defendants were found guilty for a different offence to the original offence proceeded against; some of the defendants found guilty of the above offence were originally proceeded against under the offence of Conspiracy to Defraud, Section 12 of the Common Law and Criminal Justice Act 1987.

Prison Accommodation

Henry Bellingham: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how much time is allocated to prison officers to conduct a cell search; and if he will make a statement.

Maria Eagle: The Prison Service national security framework requires prisons to develop local searching strategies, agreed by the governor and area manager. These define the frequency of cell searches conducted in a particular prison based on an assessment of local needs and considerations. The amount of time allocated to cell searches will therefore vary across the prison estate and this information could be collated centrally only at disproportionate cost.

Prison Service

Henry Bellingham: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice pursuant to the answer of 14 May 2007,  Official Report, column 434W, on the Prison Service, whether Paul Baker is the assistant investigator on the investigation being run by Ron Tasker; and if he will make a statement.

Maria Eagle: Paul Baker was the assistant investigator working to Ron Tasker on his investigation.

Prison Service: Termination of Employment

Henry Bellingham: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice with reference to the answer of 14 May 2007,  Official Report, column 554W, on Prison Service: termination of employment, how many of the appeals upheld in  (a) 2005-06 and  (b) 2006-07 were in the London area.

David Hanson: The information previously provided was obtained from the Civil Service Appeal Board to ensure it was accurate. The board has been asked to confirm the location of the successful appeals and I will write to the hon. Gentleman on receipt of its response.

Prison Service: Termination of Employment

Henry Bellingham: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice with reference to the answer of 14 May 2007,  Official Report, column 552W, on Prison Service: termination of employment; what assessment he has made of the cost of collating this information at HM Prison Service area office level; whether information on the number of HM Prison Service employees dismissed for criminal activity in the last three years is collated in any form within HM Prison Service; and if he will make a statement.

David Hanson: In order to provide this information, the HR Directorate would need to ask each area office to contact each of its establishments requesting a manual search of personnel records for each of the last three years. The figures would then need to be checked at area office level and collated centrally. No detailed assessment has been made of the cost of collating this information other than to confirm that it would exceed the current threshold set by the Cabinet Office.
	The public-sector Prison Service maintains a central database of disciplinary outcomes, including those in which criminal activity has been found proven. This database is maintained from records provided to the HR Directorate at the conclusion of the internal disciplinary process.

Prisoners

Nick Herbert: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice for what proven or alleged offences offenders were recalled to prison from end of custody licence for reoffending between 29 June 2007 and 31 October 2007.

David Hanson: During the period 29 June to 31 October 2007, 11,132 offenders were released, of whom 119 were recalled from the end of custody licence scheme on allegation of reoffending. This represents 1.07 per cent. being notified to NOMS as having been recalled for allegedly committing a further offence while on the scheme. They were alleged to have committed a total of 170 offences. A breakdown of these alleged offences is in the following table.
	
		
			  Alleged offence type  Number of alleged offences 
			 Violence against the person 30 
			 Sexual offences 1 
			 Burglary 17 
			 Robbery 1 
			 Theft and handling 43 
			 Drug offences 7 
			 Motoring offences 13 
			 Other 58

Prisoner Release: Electronic Tagging

Cheryl Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how much was spent on the pilot project using satellite tracking for prisoners released on licence carried out by Group 4 Securicor; and for what reasons the pilot project was not put into operation more widely.

Maria Eagle: The project using satellite tracking for certain prisoners released on licence and offenders who received exclusion orders from the courts was piloted in three areas between 2004 and 2006, during which 517 offenders were tracked. The satellite tracking service was provided by three suppliers up to March 2005, after which it was provided by Group 4 Securicor (G4S) and Serco Monitoring under new electronic monitoring contracts.
	The total cost of the project was 4.75 million. This included the cost of the service provision from G4S, which amounted to 2.39 million.
	The pilot project was subject to an independent evaluation by Birmingham university, whose final report was published in August 2007. After consideration of the evaluation report, and the recommendations of a National Offender Management Service working group, there are no current plans to implement the scheme more widely until the technology has been developed further to provide assurance of its capabilities and cost-effectiveness. This issue will be kept under review.

Prisoners: Employment

Nick Hurd: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what plans the Prison Service has to make the development of structured work a central part of the national prisons strategy.

Maria Eagle: Providing an appropriate range of purposeful activity for prisoners, including work, is part of the Prison Service's strategy and will continue to be so in future developments. Work for prisoners in prison can be broadly divided into four categories: producing goods for the internal market; undertaking work for external contractors; providing essential services such as catering and laundry; and land-based activities.

Prisoners: Foreigners

Nick Herbert: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many foreign national prisoners are serving sentences of  (a) less than 12 months and  (b) 12 months or more.

David Hanson: At the end of October 2007 there were 7,510 foreign national prisoners serving immediate custodial sentences in all prison establishments in England and Wales, of whom 1,000 were serving sentences of less than 12 months, and 6,510 serving sentences of 12 months and over. These figures were rounded to the nearest 10.
	The figures have been drawn from administrative IT systems, which, as with any large-scale recording system, are subject to possible errors in data entry and processing.

Prisoners: Police Custody

Fraser Kemp: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many prisoners have been accommodated in police custody suites in  (a) the north-east and  (b) Northumbria police area in 2007.

David Hanson: The following table shows the total number of occasions on which prisoners have been held in police cells in each police force in the north-east in 2007. This does not correspond directly to the number of prisoners; one occasion is one prisoner night held in a police cell.
	
		
			  Police force area  Occasions( 1) 
			 Cleveland 12 
			 Durham 1,083 
			 Northumbria 1,113 
			 (1) To 10 December.

Prisoners: Self-Mutilation

Cheryl Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what criteria are applied by the Prison Service when deciding whether an event is to be reported as a self-harming incident.

Maria Eagle: The Prison Service defines self-harm as any incident in which a prisoner deliberately harms himself irrespective of method, intent or severity of any injury.
	Prison Service Order 2700: Suicide Prevention and Self-Harm Management instructs that all incidents of self-harm must be reported on incident report forms and an F213SH self-harm form must be completed. Noose/ligature making must also be reported on the F213SH even if no injury has occurred. Information from the F213SH is logged at establishments on the Incident Reporting System (IRS). All incidents in which resuscitation and or transfer to outside hospital as the result of self-harm have been required must also be reported to HMPS National Operations Unit by telephone.

Prisons

Cheryl Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many on-site monitors there are in each prison in England and Wales.

David Hanson: The 11 establishments within the contracted estate have a controller, who is a Crown servant. Controllers are responsible for monitoring the contract and carry out a number of statutory duties as representatives of the Secretary of State. The three public-sector establishments with which NOMS has a service level agreement, HMP Blakenhurst, HMP Buckley Hall and HMP Manchester, have monitors. They are responsible for monitoring the contract but do not carry out operational duties. However it is not a requirement for controllers, monitors or their teams, to be on-site.
	Details of the current number of on-site controllers and monitors, and their staff, are outlined in the following table.
	
		
			  Controllers'/monitors' teams currently on-site in contracted prison establishments and those with whom NOMS has a service level agreement 
			  Establishment  Controller's team 
			 HMP Altcourse 1 Controller 
			  1 Deputy Controller 
			  2 Assistants 
			   
			 HMP Bronzefield 1 Controller 
			  1 Deputy Controller 
			  1 Assistant 
			   
			 HMP/YOI Doncaster 1 Controller 
			  2 Assistants 
			   
			 HMP Dovegate 1 Controller 
			  1 Deputy Controller 
			  2 Assistants 
			   
			 HMP Wolds 1 Controller 
			  1 Assistant 
			   
			 YOI Ashfield 1 Controller 
			  1 Assistant 
			   
			 HMP Forest Bank 1 Controller 
			  1 Deputy Controller 
			   
			 HMP Lowdham Grange 1 Controller 
			  1 Deputy Controller 
			  1 Assistant 
			   
			 HMP/YOI Parc 1 Controller 
			  1 Deputy Controller 
			  1 Assistant 
			   
			 HMP Peterborough 1 Controller 
			  1 Deputy Controller 
			   
			 HMP Rye Hill 1 Controller 
			  1 Deputy Controller 
			   
			 HMP Buckley Hall 1 Monitor 
			  1 Assistant 
			   
			 HMP Blakenhurst 1 Monitor 
			  1 Deputy Monitor 
			   
			 HMP Manchester 1 Monitor 
			  2 part-time assistants

Probation Officers: Training

Cheryl Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how much was spent on probation officer training in England and Wales in each financial year since 1997-98.

Maria Eagle: Reliable figures are only available from 2003-04, when the Home Office took over the funding arrangements for the universities. The figures for these years are as follows.
	
		
			   Amount () 
			 2003-04 51,579.000 
			 2004-05 56,531.000 
			 2005-06 50,819.000 
			 2006-07 38,273.000 
		
	
	In addition to these sums, probation areas will identify training needs within their individual areas and fund these from their allocated budgets.

Probation Service: Expenditure

Cheryl Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how much was spent on electronic monitors for the probation service in England and Wales in each financial year since 1997-98.

Maria Eagle: Since the start of the electronic monitoring service in England and Wales in January 1999 the cost of the electronic monitoring (EM) of offenders has been met centrally, and is not devolved to the probation service.
	Prior to April 2007, data on the breakdown of the cost of the EM service by the agencies using the service were not recorded. However, data have been collected since April 2007 which identify costs of monitoring court-ordered curfew requirements with a probation supervision requirement, and curfew requirements recommended by the probation service for offenders who were sentenced to a single curfew requirement without a probation supervision requirement. In the period from 1 April 2007 to 31 October 2007 this amounted to 20,162,610.

R v Roland P Wright

Cheryl Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice if he will make a statement on the case of R  v. Roland P Wright, Case No. T2003/0089 in Aylesbury Crown Court.

Maria Eagle: On 6 May 2003 Roland Peter Wright was committed to Aylesbury Crown Court from Wycombe and Beaconsfield magistrates court. He was indicted on 13 counts of indecent assault on a male person and three counts of indecency with a child. The offences were alleged to have taken place between August 1964 and May 1970. On 25 September 2003 the case was listed for an Abuse of Process hearing. On 26 September the judge determined that the application made on behalf of the defendant should succeed and ordered that the indictment be stayed.

Witnesses: Children

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what steps the Government have taken to ease the burden of criminal court proceedings on children who are called as witnesses.

Maria Eagle: The Government have already done much to assist child witnesses in criminal proceedings. We have
	introduced special measures such as live links, video-recorded evidence-in-chief, screens around the witness box, giving evidence in private and intermediaries. An independent evaluation in 2004 found that 76 per cent. of child witnesses were satisfied with special measures;
	reformed the law on competence to provide a presumption that all witnesses are deemed to be competent;
	given 30 million annually to Victim Support, who provide the Witness Service in every court;
	introduced a statutory Code of Practice to give victims, including children, legal rights for the first time;
	spent 2.75 million on new court live link systems to help witnesses give evidence since 2006;
	met the target of having separate waiting facilities for prosecution witnesses in 90 per cent. of magistrates courts ahead of schedule;
	on 31 October, issued updated practitioner guidance on interviewing vulnerable and intimidated witnesses, including children.
	In June the Government issued a Consultation Paper, Improving the Criminal Trial Process for Young Witnesses, which looked at further ways of helping young witnesses give evidence, including more choice regarding special measures. We intend to publish a response to this consultation next year.

Witnesses: Protection

Nigel Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice 
	(1)  what the cost of running the witness protection programme was in the last 12 months;
	(2)  how many UK citizens are in witness protection programmes; and how many have been in programmes in each of the last 10 years.

Maria Eagle: Witness protection programmes are one of a number of measures taken by police forces to support witnesses. A review of national provision in 2004 estimated that such programmes cost in the region of 22 million per annum. However, because of the operational sensitivity of this area of work, details of the programmes and witnesses assisted cannot be disclosed.

Young Offenders: Sentencing

James Brokenshire: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what assessment he has made of the extent to which issues of parenting have been considered in pre-sentence reviews used in youth courts, as referred to in the Respect Action Plan.

David Hanson: The Respect Action Plan called for the inclusion of parenting assessment in all pre-sentence reports submitted to the magistrates youth court. In the majority of cases, youth offending teams will include an assessment of parenting within a pre-sentence report as standard practice.
	The Youth Justice Board will be reinforcing the importance of parenting assessment through current work that will update 'National Standards'. The revised 'National Standards', due to come on stream in 2009, will ensure that all pre-sentence reports include an assessment of the need for parenting support.
	I am confident that these measures will ensure that we meet the expectations contained in the Respect Action Plan.

TREASURY

Banking

David Laws: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what representations were made to his Department by the Bank of England on  (a) changing the system of bank deposit insurance and  (b) strengthening the procedure for pre-emptive intervention in failing financial institutions between January 2005 and October 2007; and if he will make a statement.

Kitty Ussher: The Treasury, FSA and Bank of England have held regular discussions about issues relating to financial stability, including bank deposit insurance and procedures for pre-emptive interventions in failing financial institutions throughout this period.
	Work on this contributed to the discussion paper Banking ReformProtecting Depositors: a Discussion Paper published in October 2007.

Child Benefit: Personal Records

Danny Alexander: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether staff authorised to access the full child benefit database are subject to criminal record checks.

Jane Kennedy: holding answer 26 November 2007
	 On 20 November the Chancellor announced an independent review of HMRC's data handling procedures to be conducted by Kieran Poynter, the chair of PricewaterhouseCoopers.

Child Benefit: Personal Records

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what representations he has received on the computer discs which went missing from the Newcastle HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) office; what steps his Department has taken to advise the public on the loss of the discs and their personal details being compromised; and what steps he is taking to ensure that personal data is held securely by HMRC.

Jane Kennedy: My right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer has received a number of representations on the computer discs which went missing from the Newcastle HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) office.
	The acting chairman of HM Revenue and Customs has written to all customers affected by the loss of child benefit data and a copy of the letter is available on the HMRC internet at:
	http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/childbenefit/customer-update-letter.htm
	On 13 November HMRC initiated immediate increased security with a new process:
	transfers will now only take place if they are absolutely necessary;
	written authorisation for the transfer has to be given by senior HMRC manager; and,
	a clear instruction has been given regarding the appropriate standard of protection for the transfer.
	Where directors decide that a data transfer by disc is unavoidable such media must, in every case, be securely encrypted at the appropriate level.
	On 20 November the Chancellor announced an independent review of HMRC's data handling procedures to be conducted by Kieran Poynter, the chair of PricewaterhouseCoopers.
	I also refer the hon. Member to the statement made by my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister on 21 November 2007,  Official Report, column 1179. The review by the Cabinet Secretary and security experts is looking at procedures within Departments and agencies for the storage and use of data. A statement on Departments' procedures will be made on the completion of the review.

Child Benefit: Personal Records

David Gauke: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the  (a) number and  (b) value of tax credit payments erroneously made to a perpetrator of identity theft in the last 12 months.

Jane Kennedy: holding answer 26 November 2007
	I refer the hon. Member to paragraph 2.26 of HM Revenue and Customs Standard Report for 2006-07.

Child Benefit: Personal Records

Philip Hammond: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what technical protections have been in place in HM Revenue and Customs child benefit office in 2007 to date to prevent unauthorised personnel downloading confidential information to disc.

Jane Kennedy: On 20 November the Chancellor announced an independent review of HMRC's data handling procedures to be conducted by Kieran Poynter, the chair of PricewaterhouseCoopers.
	The full terms of reference for that review are available on the HM Treasury website at:
	http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/newsroom and speeches/press/2007/press 133 07.cfm
	and a copy has been placed in the Library of the House.

Child Benefit: Personal Records

Cheryl Gillan: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  how many fields there are in the HM Revenue and Customs child benefit database; and how many of these contain data which were recently requested by the National Audit Office;
	(2)  what estimate he has made of the cost of extracting the information requested by the National Audit Office from the HM Revenue and Customs child benefit database.

Jane Kennedy: holding answer 28 November 2007
	I refer the hon. Member to the statement given in the House by my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer on 20 November 2007,  Official Report, columns 1101-04.
	On 20 November the Chancellor announced an independent review of HMRC's data handling procedures to be conducted by Kieran Poynter, the Chair of PricewaterhouseCoopers.
	The full terms of reference for that review are available on the HM Treasury website at:
	http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/newsroom_and_speeches/press/2007/press_133_07.cfm
	and a copy has been placed in the Library of the House.

Child Benefit: Personal Records

Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer for what purposes the National Audit Office (NAO) required a complete list of child benefit recipients; and what categories of data were  (a) on the database and  (b) requested by the NAO.

Jane Kennedy: The National Audit Office requested data as part of its preparations for its 2007-08 audit of HM Revenue and Customs' Resource Account, which records the annual expenditure on child benefit.
	I refer the hon. Member to the statement given in the House by my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer on 20 November 2007,  Official Report, columns 1101-04.
	On 20 November the Chancellor announced an independent review of HMRC's data handling procedures to be conducted by Kieran Poynter, the Chair of PricewaterhouseCoopers.
	The full terms of reference for that review are available on the HM Treasury website at:
	http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/newsroom_and_speeches/press/2007/press_133_07.cfm
	and a copy has been placed in the Library of the House.

Child Benefit: Personal Records

Tom Brake: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether a reward has  (a) been offered and  (b) been proposed for the finder of the two compact discs containing confidential child benefit information; and if he will make a statement.

Jane Kennedy: holding answer 29 November 2007
	A reward of 20,000 has been offered by HMRC for information leading to the return of the missing data.

Child Benefit: Personal Records

David Amess: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what steps  (a) he has taken and  (b) he plans to take to alleviate the concerns of child benefit recipients resident in Southend West constituency whose data was lost by HM Revenue and Customs on possible (i) identity fraud and (ii) criminal use of bank or building society account details; what recent representations he has received from members of the public about the loss; and if he will make a statement.

Jane Kennedy: I refer the hon. Member to the statement given in the House by my right hon. friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer on 20 November 2007,  Official Report, columns 1101-04.

Child Benefit: Personal Records

David Amess: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether the password to access the child benefit information was contained in the same package as the discs containing the data provided by HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) to the National Audit Office on each of the occasions that discs were sent; what the policy is of  (a) his Department and  (b) HMRC on the sending of such passwords in the post; and if he will make a statement.

Jane Kennedy: It would be inappropriate to disclose the information requested as there is an on-going police investigation.
	On 20 November, the Chancellor announced an independent review of HMRC's data handling procedures to be conducted by Kieran Poynter, chair of PricewaterhouseCoopers.

Child Benefit: Personal Records

Mark Hoban: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer further to his statement of 20 November 2007,  Official Report, column 1101, on HM Revenue and Customs, when  (a) Ministers and  (b) senior civil servants were first informed of the breach of security procedures that took place in March.

Jane Kennedy: holding answer 17 November 2007
	It would be inappropriate to comment at this time as there is an ongoing police investigation. On 20 November the Chancellor announced an independent review of HMRC's data handling procedures to be conducted by Kieran Poynter, the chair of PricewaterhouseCoopers.
	The full terms of reference for that review are available on the HM Treasury website at:
	http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/newsroom_and_speeches/press/2007/press_133_07.cfm
	and a copy has been placed in the Library of the House.

Child Benefit: Personal Records

Malcolm Bruce: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer in how many of the individuals' records missing in the transfer of information from HM Revenues and Customs national insurance numbers were recorded.

Jane Kennedy: holding answer 29 November 2007
	The missing information contains details of child benefit records for 25 million individuals including 9.5 million adult claimants. The records of these claimants include national insurance records.

Children: Poverty

David Laws: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what steps his Department is taking to meet the (a) 2010 and  (b) 2020 child poverty targets; and if he will make a statement.

Jane Kennedy: The Treasury contributes to the strategy for halving and eradicating child poverty as set out in the Child Poverty Review, published alongside the 2004 Spending Review White Paper (Cm 6237). Across the UK, these measures have helped lift 600,000 children out of poverty since 1998-99.
	The Government have reaffirmed their commitment to the PSA goal of halving child poverty by 2010 on the way to eradicating child poverty by 2020. Alongside the CSR, the Government published a Delivery Agreement, which outlines how central Government will work with delivery partners to meet these ambitious targets.
	The Treasury will continue to review financial support for families with children at future Budgets and pre-Budget reports, in the usual way. As a result of financial support measures announced in this year's Budget and pre-Budget report, 300,000 children will be lifted out of poverty.
	The Treasury will continue to work closely with other Government Departments to deliver public services to help improve the lives and life chances of all children.

Council of Economic Advisers

Mark Hoban: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many members of the Council of Economic Advisers there were in each month since January; and if he will make a statement.

Angela Eagle: There were five members of the Council of Economic Advisers in January 2007 as set out in the answer given on (0509W 2006-07). An additional member was appointed in February 2007 as set out in the answer given on (2386W 2006-07). From June 2007 the Council had one member as set out in the answer given on (4448W 2006-07) and the written statement made by the Prime Minister on 22 November 2007. Since the end of November the Council has had two members as set out in the Treasury Press Notice of 30 November.

Customs Officers: Manpower

Justine Greening: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many  (a) full- and  (b) part-time customs officers HM Revenue and Customs employed in each year since 2000; and if he will make a statement.

Jane Kennedy: The numbers of  (a) full and  (b) part-time staff employed by HM Customs and Excise at 1 April 2000 to 1 April 2005 are shown in the following table, as are those employed by HM Revenue and Customs since 1 April 2006. After 1 April 2005, no statistics are available for HM Customs and Excise as a separate Department.
	
		
			  As at  1 April  each year  Full-time  Part-time 
			 2000 21,000 2,050 
			 2001 20,960 2,160 
			 2002 20,640 2,250 
			 2003 20,940 2,370 
			 2004 21,336 2,523 
			 2005 21,508 2,776 
			 2006 76,533 24,205 
			 2007 72,880 23,631

Customs Officers: Manpower

Justine Greening: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many  (a) permanent and  (b) temporary customs officers HM Revenue and Customs employed in each year since 2000; and if he will make a statement.

Jane Kennedy: The numbers of  (a) permanent and  (b) temporary staff employed by HM Customs and Excise at 1 April 2000 to 1 April 2005 are shown in the following table, as are those employed by HM Revenue and Customs since 1 April 2006. After 1 April 2005, no statistics are available for HM Customs and Excise as a separate Department.
	
		
			  As at  1  April  each year  Permanent  Temporary 
			 2000 22,640 410 
			 2001 22,440 680 
			 2002 22,560 330 
			 2003 22,950 360 
			 2004 23,491 368 
			 2005 23,790 494 
			 2006 99,508 1,230 
			 2007 95,412 1,099

Customs Officers: Recruitment

Justine Greening: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much HM Revenue and Customs spent on employing customs officers in each year since 2000; and if he will make a statement.

Jane Kennedy: There is no separate group of staff identified as customs officers. The staff costs for the former Customs and Excise are shown in the following table for 2000-01 to 2004-05.
	
		
			  000 
			 2000-01 599,744 
			 2001-02 623,678 
			 2002-03 651,160 
			 2003-04 688,440 
			 2004-05 728,444 
		
	
	Following the merger with the former Inland Revenue, the total staff costs for HM Revenue and Customs (but excluding the Valuation Office Agency) for 2005-06 and 2006-07 were as follows:
	
		
			  000 
			 2005-06 2,655,374 
			 2006-07 2,701,800

Customs Officers: Recruitment

Justine Greening: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many customs officers were recruited by HM Revenue and Customs in each year since 2000; and if he will make a statement.

Jane Kennedy: The numbers of staff recruited by HM Customs and Excise yearly between 1 April 2000 and 31 March 2005 are shown in the following table, as are the numbers of staff recruited by HM Revenue and Customs since 1 April 2005. After 1 April 2005, no statistics are available for HM Customs and Excise as a separate Department.
	
		
			   Entrants 
			 2000-01 1,272 
			 2001-02 995 
			 2002-03 1,394 
			 2003-04 1,344 
			 2004-05 1,341 
			 2005-06 6,586 
			 2006-07 5,725

Data Protection: Complaints

David Gauke: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many complaints HM Revenue and Customs have received in the last 12 months from tax credit claimants claiming they have been victims of identity theft.

Jane Kennedy: holding answer 26 November 2007
	 I refer the hon. Member to the reply given to my right hon. Friend the Member for Birkenhead (Mr. Field) on 27 March 2007,  Official Report, column 1516W.

Departmental Data Protection

Mark Hoban: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate his Department has made of the number of disks containing data protected by the Data Protection Act 1998 that have been sent to other agencies of his Department in the last two years, broken down by  (a) mode and classification of delivery and  (b) carrier.

Jane Kennedy: holding answer 27 November 2007
	This information is not available and could be collated only at a disproportionate cost.
	On 20 November the Chancellor announced an independent review of HMRC's data handling procedures to be conducted by Kieran Poynter, the Chair of PricewaterhouseCoopers.
	The full terms of reference for that review are available on the HM Treasury website at:
	http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/newsroom_and_speeches/press/2007/press_133_07.cfm
	and a copy has been placed in the Library of the House.

Employment

Chris Grayling: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the number and proportion of  (a) UK and  (b) non-UK nationals in (i) full-time and (ii) part-time work in the UK in each year since 1997.

Angela Eagle: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician who has been asked to reply.
	 Letter from Colin Mowl, dated 17 December 2007:
	The National Statistician has been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question about the number and proportion of UK and non-UK nationals in full-time and part- time work in each year since 1997. I am replying in her absence. (173916)
	The data for analysing migrant workers comes from the Labour Force Survey (LFS). The National Statistics method for estimating the number of migrant workers employed in the UK is routinely based on the number of people at a given time who were born abroad, are of working age (16-64 for men, 16-59 for women), and in employment. This question has been answered on this basis.
	The attached table gives the number and proportion of UK and non-UK born people of working age in full-time and part-time employment for the three month period ending June each year, from 1998 to 2007. Comparable estimates are not available for 1998 and 2000.
	The data for analysing migrant workers comes from the Labour Force Survey. The National Statistics method for estimating the number of migrant workers employed in the UK is based on the number of people at a given time who were born abroad, are of working age (16-64 for men, 16-59 for women), and in employment. This question has been answered on this basis.
	When interpreting the figures in the table, it is important to bear in mind that the Labour Force Survey (LFS) is not designed to cover everyone who is present in the UK. The survey may undercount the numbers of people who were born overseas. The reasons are set out in the table footnote.
	As with any sample survey, estimates from the LFS are subject to a margin of uncertainty.
	
		
			  Working age population( 1) , in full-time and part-time employment and in employment rate( 2) , by country of birthUnited Kingdom, not seasonally adjusted, April-June 1997 to 2007 
			  Thousand, except where indicated 
			UK total( 3)  UK-born  Foreign born 
			Level  Percentage  Level  Percentage  Level  Percentage 
			 1997 Full-Time 19,419 76 17,944 76 1,474 77 
			  Part-Time 6,121 24 5,692 24 429 23 
			  In Employment(4) 25,544 100 23,638 100 1,904 100 
			 
			 1999 Full-Time 19,829 76 18,273 76 1,555 78 
			  Part-Time 6,226 24 5,779 24 447 22 
			  In Employment(4) 26,060 100 24,056 100 2,003 100 
			 
			 2001 Full-Time 20,211 76 18,507 76 1,699 78 
			  Part-Time 6,387 24 5,916 24 469 22 
			  In Employment(4) 26,607 100 24,431 100 2,169 100 
			 
			 2002 Full-Time 20,231 76 18,440 75 1,789 78 
			  Part-Time 6,492 24 5,976 24 515 22 
			  In Employment(4) 26,735 100 24,426 100 2,305 100 
			 
			 2003 Full-Time 20,317 75 18,386 75 1,931 78 
			  Part-Time 6,603 25 6,077 25 525 21 
			  In Employment(4) 26,935 100 24,473 100 2,460 100 
			 
			 2004 Full-Time 20,383 75 18,385 75 1,998 79 
			  Part-Time 6,619 25 6,075 25 544 21 
			  In Employment(4) 27.015 100 24,471 100 2,544 100 
			 
			 2005 Full-Time 20,569 76 18,448 75 2,116 79 
			  Part-Time 6,557 24 5,988 24 569 21 
			  In Employment(4) 27,136 100 24,444 100 2,687 100 
			 2006 Full-Time 20,687 76 18,311 76 2,375 79 
			  Part-Time 6,489 24 5,857 24 632 21 
			  In Employment(4) 27,187 100 24,177 100 3,009 100 
			 
			 2007 Full-Time 20,725 76 18,123 76 2,596 79 
			  Part-Time 6,485 24 5,813 24 670 20 
			  In Employment(4) 27,226 100 23,948 100 3,269 100 
			 (1) Men aged 16-64 and women aged 16-59 (2) Number of people in employment of working age as a percentage of all persons of working age (3) Includes those who did not state their country of birth (4) Includes those who did not state whether they were full-time or part-time it should be noted that the above estimates: exclude certain people who have been resident in the UK for less than 6 months exclude students in halls of residence who do not have a UK resident parent exclude people in most types of communal establishment (eg hotels, boarding houses, hostels, mobile home sites etc) are grossed to population estimates that only include migrants staying 12 months or more are grossed to population estimates consistent with those published in spring 2003 which are significantly lower than the latest population estimates as used in the Labour Market Statistics monthly First Release.  Source: ONS Labour Force Survey (LFS)

Excise Duties: Alcoholic Drinks

Tobias Ellwood: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he plans to introduce duty increases on alcohol prior to the next Budget statement.

Angela Eagle: Decisions on increases in alcohol duty rates are made by the Chancellor as part of the Budget process.

Freight: Roads

David Kidney: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he plans to introduce a cabotage scheme for UK road use by overseas freight operators.

Jim Fitzpatrick: I have been asked to reply.
	Cabotage by EU hauliers in the UK is currently allowed under EU law provided operations are conducted on a temporary basis. The Department for Transport published a statement on its website in August 2006 which provides further details.
	The Department is currently consulting on a package of three proposed EU road transport Regulations published by the European Commission in May 2007, one of which proposes a new definition of cabotage. The consultation period closes on 29 February 2008. The Consultation Document is available at:
	http://www.dft.gov.uk/consultations/open/euroadtransportproposals/.

Fuel Poverty: Eastern Region

Richard Spring: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many households in  (a) Suffolk and  (b) the East of England region were classified as living in fuel poverty in each of the last five years.

Malcolm Wicks: I have been asked to reply.
	Regional estimates of fuel poverty are available only for 2003 and are taken from the Fuel Poverty Indicator dataset, available online at:
	http://www.fuelpovertyindicator.org.uk/
	This shows that there were approximately 18,000 fuel poor households in Suffolk and 124,000 fuel poor household in the East of England.

Gift Aid

Fabian Hamilton: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the likely effect on levels of revenue from Gift Aid for UK charities arising from changes in the basic rate of income tax.

Jane Kennedy: The precise impact on charities income will depend on the behavioural changes to the recent tax changes of both donors and charities. The strong upward trend in Gift Aid is however expected to result in consistent year-on-year growth in charities' income from Gift Aid, including in the year 2008-09.

Health in Pregnancy Grant

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer for what reasons benefits in pregnancy are to be provided through the Health in Pregnancy Grant; and if he will make a statement.

Jane Kennedy: The Government are introducing the Health in Pregnancy Grant from April 2009 as a one-off payment to expectant mothers to help them during the important last weeks of pregnancy. It will provide flexible financial support as a one-off payment, and will be payable per pregnancy. This recognizes the additional costs involved during pregnancy and in the run up to birth.

Job Creation

John Hayes: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many new jobs have been created in the UK since 1997.

Angela Eagle: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician who has been asked to reply.
	 Letter from Colin Mowl, dated 17 December 2007:
	The National Statistician has been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question regarding the number of new jobs created since 1997. I am replying in her absence. (174394)
	While statistics of new jobs created are not available explicitly, statistics from surveys enable comparisons to be made of net changes in employment from year to year.
	According to the Labour Force Survey (LFS), employment in the UK, among all those aged 16 and over, has increased by 2.8 million between the second quarter of 1997 and the period August-October 2007, the latest for which figures are available.
	As with any sample survey, estimates from the LFS are subject to a margin of uncertainty.

Life Expectancy

John Mann: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the average UK life expectancy is; and what the average life expectancy is for residents of mining communities.

Angela Eagle: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician who has been asked to reply.
	 Letter from Colin Mowl, dated 17 December 2007:
	The National Statistician has been asked to reply to your recent question asking what the average UK life expectancy is; and what the average life expectancy is on residents of mining communities. I am replying in her absence. (174654)
	Period life expectancy at birth(1) in the United Kingdom, for 2004-06(2) (the latest period available), was 77 years for males, and 81 years for females.
	Life expectancy figures for residents of mining communities specifically are not available. Period life expectancies at birth for local authorities in England and Wales are published annually by ONS, and are available on the National Statistics website at:
	http://www.statistics.gov.uk/statbase/Product.asp?vlnk=8841
	(1) Period life expectancy at birth is an estimate of the average number of years a newborn baby would survive if he or she experienced the area's age-specific mortality rates for that time period throughout his or her life. The figure reflects mortality among those living in the area in each time period, rather than mortality among those born in each area. It is not therefore the number of years a baby born in the area in each time period could actually expect to live, both because the death rates of the area are likely to change in the future and because many of those born in the area will live elsewhere for at least some part of their lives.
	(2) Three year rolling averages, based on deaths registered in each year and mid-year population estimates.

Members: Correspondence

John Penrose: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he expects to reply to the letter of 21 August from the hon. Member for Weston-Super-Mare.

Jane Kennedy: I have done so and apologise for the delay in replying to the hon. Member.

Members: Correspondence

Alex Salmond: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he expects to reply to the letter of 28 August from the right hon. Member for Banff and Buchan on Mrs. Leslie of Peterhead.

Kitty Ussher: My right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer has now replied to the hon. Member.

Mortgages: Repossession Orders

Nigel Evans: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  how many home repossessions there were in  (a) Ribble Valley,  (b) Lancashire and  (c) England in each of the last five years;
	(2)  what discussions he has had with banks on preparation of a safety net to prevent home repossessions.

Angela Eagle: The Government do not hold these figures. The Ministry of Justice publishes figures for the numbers of possession orders made by county courts, which are presented in the following table.
	
		
			  Number of mortgage possession orders: 2002-2005 
			   2002  2003  2004  2005  2006 
			 England and Wales 41,759 41,038 46,683 70,964 90,660 
			 Lancashire 1,932 1,490 1,337 1,865 2,612 
		
	
	
		
			  Number of landlord possession orders: 2002-2005 
			   2002  2003  2004  2005  2006 
			 England and Wales 1,2155 12,0694 11,7786 11,869 10,6968 
			 Lancashire 3,324 2,741 2,504 2,292 1,976 
		
	
	The Council of Mortgage Lenders (CML) publishes the total numbers of properties taken into possession, available at:
	http://www.cml.org.uk/cml/statistics.
	The Government provide assistance for homeowners facing financial difficulties through the provision of face-to-face debt advice. In addition, the Thoresen review is also considering options aimed at giving consumers greater access to generic financial advice, and will publish its final report next year.
	The Government also provide targeted financial support available through DWP's Support for Mortgage Interest (SMI).
	The Government meet with a wide range of stakeholders, including the mortgage industry, and is in discussion with industry to identify how they can assist those experiencing difficulty.

Public Expenditure

David Hamilton: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what percentage of economic activity was accounted for by public sector spending in  (a) the UK,  (b) Scotland,  (c) Wales,  (d) Northern Ireland,  (e) England and  (f) each English region in each of the last 10 years for which figures are available.

Andy Burnham: Estimates of gross value added by country and region are published by the ONS. Data are available in the ONS Regional Trends publication. Data on identifiable public spending by country and region are available in the Treasury's Public Expenditure Statistical Analyses (Cm 7091) published in April 2007.

Public Sector: Manpower

David Hamilton: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what proportion of the population were employed by the public sector in  (a) the UK,  (b) Scotland,  (c) Wales,  (d) Northern Ireland,  (e) England and  (f) each English region in each of the last 10 years for which figures are available.

Angela Eagle: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.
	 Letter from Colin Mowl, dated 17 December 2007:
	The National Statistician has been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question about the proportion of the population employed in the public sector in countries and regions of the UK. I am replying in her absence. (174146)
	The latest analysis of UK public sector employment by region and country of workplace was included in an article in 'Economic and Labour Market Review' Vol 1 No. 3 March 2007 (pages 17 to 23), a copy of which is available in the House of Commons Library. This is also available via the following link.
	http://www.statistics.gov.uk/elmr/03_07/downloads/ELMR_Mar07.pdf
	The second part of table 1 on page 22 includes proportions in the form requested from 1999 (the earliest available) to 2006.

Revenue and Customs: Data Protection

Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer on how many occasions HM Revenue and Customs have packaged personal data on disc along with the access passwords for transportation in 2007.

Jane Kennedy: On 20 November the Chancellor announced an independent review of HMRC's data handling procedures to be conducted by Kieran Poynter, chair of PricewaterhouseCoopers.
	The full terms of reference for that review are available on the HM Treasury website at:
	http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/newsroom_and_speeches/press/2007/press_133_07.cfm

Tax Allowances: Electric Vehicles

Mark Oaten: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will allow electronic vehicles transporting goods to be given the same tax relief that businesses are given for electronic cars.

Angela Eagle: holding answer 13 December 2007
	 All vehicles with zero tail pipe carbon emissions are exempt from VED.
	Expenditure on plant and machinery, including electric vehicles for transporting goods, will be eligible for the new annual investment allowance of 50,000 from April 2008. This new allowance will be available to all businesses, but will be of particular benefit to smaller businesses.
	Cars, including electric cars, are also plant and machinery, but are subject to special rules. For example, expenditure on cars with low carbon dioxide emissions (below 120 grams per kilometre) currently qualify for a 100 per cent. first year allowance. The Government announced at the PBR that they are currently considering options for the taxation of business cars and there will be further announcements on cars at Budget 2008.
	The Government keep all taxes under review.

Tax Credits: Overpayments

Danny Alexander: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether HM Revenue and Customs repays overpaid money that is recovered from tax credit claimants whose initial complaint was rejected but who later had their case upheld by HM Revenue and Customs, the Adjudicator or the Parliamentary Ombudsman.

Jane Kennedy: If a customer has paid back any part of a tax credits overpayment that is later written off, HM Revenue and Customs will refund that amount or off set it against any other recoverable tax credits debt for the same claim in another year.

Tax Credits: Overpayments

Danny Alexander: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  what the value of tax credit overpayments recovered has been from claimants whose initial complaint was rejected but who have had their case upheld by HM Revenue and Customs, the Adjudicator or the Parliamentary Ombudsman in the last three years;
	(2)  how many tax credit claimants from whom overpayments have been recovered after an initial complaint was rejected have later had their case upheld by HM Revenue and Customs, the Adjudicator or the Parliamentary Ombudsman in the last three years.

Jane Kennedy: The information is not available in the format requested.
	The independent Adjudicator's annual report for 2007 is available at:
	http://www.adjudicatorsoffice.gov.uk/pdf/report2007.pdf
	and the Parliamentary Ombudsman published her special report on tax credits on 8 October 2007. It is available at:
	http://www.ombudsman.org.uk/pdfs/tax_credits_07.pdf

Temporary Employment

Chris Grayling: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the number of  (a) UK and  (b) non-UK nationals in temporary work in the UK in each year since 1997.

Angela Eagle: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.
	 Letter from Colin Mowl, dated 17 December 2007:
	The National Statistician has been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question about the number of people of (a) UK and (b) non-UK nationals in temporary work in the UK each year since 1997. I am replying in her absence. (173917)
	The data for analysing migrant workers comes from the Labour Force Survey (LFS). The National Statistics method for estimating the number of migrant workers employed in the UK is routinely based on the number of people at a given time who were born abroad, are of working age (16-64 for men, 16-59 for women), and in employment. This question has been answered on this basis.
	The attached table gives the number of working age temporary employees for the categories requested for the three month period ending June each year, from 1997 to 2007. Comparable estimates are not available for 1998 and 2000.
	The data for analysing migrant workers comes from the Labour Force Survey. The National Statistics method for estimating the number of migrant workers employed in the UK is based on the number of people at a given time who were born abroad, are of working age (16-64 for men, 16-59 for women), and in employment. This question has been answered on this basis.
	When interpreting the figures in the table, it is important to bear in mind that the Labour Force Survey (LFS) is not designed to cover everyone who is present in the UK. The survey may undercount the numbers of people who were born overseas. The reasons are set out in the table footnote.
	As with any sample survey, estimates from the LFS are subject to a margin of uncertainty.
	
		
			  People of working age( 1)  in temporary employment by country of birth , t hree months ending June, 1997-2007 ,  United Kingdom, not seasonally adjusted 
			  Thousand 
			  Temporary employees  Total( 2)  Foreign-born  UK-born 
			 1997 1,664 182 1,482 
			 1999 1,534 182 1,352 
			 2001 1,571 237 1,334 
			 2002 1,438 193 1,244 
			 2003 1,334 202 1,133 
			 2004 1,340 211 1,129 
			 2005 1,288 225 1,064 
			 2006 1,289 265 1,024 
			 2007 1,338 247 1,091 
			 (1 )Men aged 16-64 and women aged 16-59 (2) Includes those who did not state their country of birth It should be noted that the above estimates: exclude certain people who have been resident in the UK for less than 6 months exclude students in halls of residence who do not have a UK resident parent exclude people in most types of communal establishment (eg hotels, boarding houses, hostels, mobile home sites etc.) are grossed to population estimates that only include migrants staying 12 months or more are grossed to population estimates consistent with those published in spring 2003 which are significantly lower than the latest population estimates as used in the Labour Market Statistics monthly First Release.  Note:  Comparable data are not available for 1998 and 2000.  Source:  ONS Labour Force Survey (LFS)

Welfare Tax Credits: Yorkshire and Humber

Graham Stuart: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many and what proportion of working-age adults in each parliamentary constituency in Yorkshire and the Humber were in receipt of tax credits in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement.

Jane Kennedy: Estimates of the numbers of families with tax credits awards, by constituency, based on final family circumstances and incomes, are available in the HMRC publication Child and Working Tax Credits. Finalised Awards. Geographical Analysis for the years 2003-04, 2004-05 and 2005-06. These publications and provisional estimates for the number of families, by constituency, with tax credit awards as at selected dates in 2006-07 are available on the HMRC website at:
	http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/stats/personal-tax-credits/cwtc-geog-stats.htm.
	Estimates of child and working tax credit take-up rates for 2003-04 and 2004-05 are available on the HMRC website at http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/stats/personal-tax-credits/cwtc-take-up.htm. Take-up rates for working families with children at country and regional level are shown in table 9. Take-up rate estimates are not available at parliamentary constituency level.

COMMUNITIES AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT

Infrastructure Commission: Public Appointments

Dai Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether she plans to consult her counterpart in the Welsh Assembly Government when appointing the chair and deputy chairs of the Infrastructure Commission as detailed in Schedule 1 of the Planning Bill 2007.

John Healey: The Secretary of State will appoint the chair and deputy chairs of the Infrastructure Planning Commission through an open and transparent appointment process. As we said in the White Paper Planning for a Sustainable Future (CM 7120) the Secretary of State will appoint two or three commissioners on the advice of the Welsh Assembly Government, reflecting the role of the commission in determining nationally significant energy infrastructure projects in Wales.

Casinos

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what external advisers have been contracted to assist the review of super-casinos.

John Healey: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to the hon. Member for South-West Surrey (Mr. Hunt) on 11 December 2007,  Official Report, columns 554-55W.

Coalfields Regeneration Trust: Finance

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what plans she has to fund the Coalfields Regeneration Trust beyond April 2008.

Iain Wright: The Coalfields Regeneration Trust's current funding agreement for England continues until March 2008. A recent independent evaluation of the CLG coalfield programmes provided strong evidence of the trust's positive impact on our former coalfield communities. In view of the trust's continued good performance, provision has been made for the continuation of the trust's funding. 52.95 million has been allocated for the three years to March 2011.

Cohesion Guidance for Funders

Paul Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government when she plans to publish the new Cohesion Guidance for Funders referred to in her letter of 6 October 2007 to the Chair of the Commission on Integration and Cohesion.

Parmjit Dhanda: The Government will publish Cohesion Guidance for Funders in the new year. We will continue to keep Parliament informed.

Community Development

Paul Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government when her Department plans to provide the new teams to support local areas experiencing particularly rapid change mentioned in her letter of 6 October 2007 to the Chairman of the Commission on Cohesion and Integration; what support these new teams will offer; how many people they will comprise; and what new funding will be provided to these teams.

Parmjit Dhanda: The detailed proposals for these teams are currently under development. Following my right hon. Friend's response of 6 October to the Commission on Integration and Commission report, we plan to make a more detailed response in January.

Council Housing: Debts

Austin Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what allowance was made for debt service charges in the housing revenue account subsidy system for each local authority which has incurred council housing debt in each year since 2000.

Yvette Cooper: A table showing the Housing Revenue Account (HRA) subsidy debt service charges element of HRA subsidy for each authority recording debt in its HRA for each year from 2000-01 to 2005-06 (the last year for which we have audited data) has been deposited in the Library of the House.

Council Tax

Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many local authorities have been subject to capping since 2000; and what the percentage changes in council tax were that brought in capping measures.

John Healey: No capping action was undertaken between 1999-2000 and 2003-04 inclusive. Since 2004-05, 25 authorities have been subjected to capping action.
	For details I refer the hon. Member to the following statements made by previous local government Ministers:
	29 April 2004,  Official Report, columns 1019-21;
	23 March 2005,  Official Report, columns 883-4; and
	27 March 2006,  Official Report, columns 567-9.

Council Tax: Empty Properties

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether she plans to review or amend the council tax discount on empty homes.

John Healey: The Government announced in their pre-Budget report that they will work with local authorities and other interested parties to assess the effect that the discretionary power to vary the council tax discount on long-term empty properties has had since its introduction in 2004, with the aim of identifying further options for reform in this area if there is evidence that it will improve access to housing.

Council Tax: Greater London

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what precepts were levied on London council tax bills in 1997-98, other than the London Borough precept, the London Fire precept and the Metropolitan Police/City of London Police precept.

John Healey: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave him on 12 December 2007,  Official Report, columns 539-40W.

Council Tax: Greater London

Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether her Department has the power to cap the council tax precept of the Mayor of London; and if she will make a statement.

John Healey: Capping legislation covers the Greater London Authority as well as local authorities, fire authorities and police authorities.

Domestic Wastes: Waste Disposal

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the level of public satisfaction was with local authority waste collection services in  (a) England and  (b) each local waste collection authority in each year for which Best Value Performance Indicator data on these measures have been collated by the Audit Commission.

Joan Ruddock: I have been asked to reply.
	DEFRA does not carry out monitoring on public satisfaction with waste services. Under the present local government performance framework, it is the responsibility of local authorities to carry out a satisfaction survey every three years as part of the best value performance indicators. Further information about these indicators is available from the local government performance website at www.bvpi.gov.uk

Greenbelt

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government which local planning authorities have land in their area with green belt status; and what the average area of green belt land is per local authority.

Iain Wright: The following table lists local planning authorities in England with green belt status and the extent of green belt land in their area in 2006, the latest year for which data are available.
	
		
			  Local authority area and extent of green belt land: 2006 
			Extent of green belt land 
			  Local authority  Mean high water (Hectares)  Hectares  Percentage 
			 Amber Valley 26,538 8,620 32.48 
			 Ashfield 10,956 4,520 41.26 
			 Aylesbury Vale 90,275 4,800 5.32 
			 Barking and Dagenham 3,609 440 12.9 
			 Barnet 8,674 2,466 28.43 
			 Barnsley 32,905 23,030 69.99 
			 Basildon 11,003 6,960 63.26 
			 Bath and North East Somerset UA 35,112 21,440 61.06 
			 Bexley 6,056 1,120 18.49 
			 Birmingham 26,779 4,173 15.58 
			 Blackburn with Darwen UA 13,701 5,570 40.65 
			 Blackpool UA 3,492 60 1.72 
			 Blyth Valley 7,036 2,890 41.07 
			 Bolsover 16,033 1,100 6.86 
			 Bolton 13,980 7,270 52.00 
			 Bournemouth UA 4,618 730 15.81 
			 Bracknell Forest 10,938 3,850 35.20 
			 Bradford 36,642 23,890 65.20 
			 Brentwood 15,312 13,750 89.80 
			 Bridgnorth 63,317 24,490 38.68 
			 Bromley 15,014 7,710 51.35 
			 Bromsgrove 21,697 19,480 89.78 
			 Broxbourne 5,143 3,310 64.35 
			 Broxtowe 8,010 5,150 64.30 
			 Burnley 11,070 1,060 9.58 
			 Bury 9,948 5,930 59.61 
			 Calderdale 36,392 22,820 62.71 
			 Cambridge 4,070 962 23.64 
			 Cannock Chase 7,888 4,840 61.36 
			 Castle Morpeth 61,823 12,210 19.75 
			 Castle Point 4,507 2,750 61.01 
			 Chelmsford 34,225 12,890 37.66 
			 Cheltenham 4,663 810 17.37 
			 Cherwell 58,876 8,410 14.28 
			 Chester 44,804 18,520 41.34 
			 Chesterfield 6,604 1,430 21.66 
			 Chester-le-Street 6,758 2,770 40.99 
			 Chiltern 19,635 17,370 88.47 
			 Chorley 20,280 14,570 71.85 
			 Christchurch 5,133 3,470 67.60 
			 City and County of Bristol DA 10,961 610 5.57 
			 City of York UA 27,194 22,340 82.15 
			 Congleton 21,099 5,290 25.07 
			 Cotswold 116,452 110 0.09 
			 Coventry 9,865 3,000 30.41 
			 Crewe and Nantwich 43,041 1,250 2.90 
			 Croydon 8,652 2,310 26.70 
			 Dacorum 21,248 10,690 50.31 
			 Dartford 7,276 4,110 56.48 
			 Derby UA 7,803 250 3.20 
			 Doncaster 56,800 23,220 40.88 
			 Dudley 9,797 1,770 18.07 
			 Durham 18,668 5,690 30.48 
			 Ealing 5,552 330 5.94 
			 Easington 14,459 280 1.94 
			 East Cambridgeshire 65,128 1,910 2.93 
			 East Dorset 35,442 16,880 47.63 
			 East Hertfordshire 47,569 17,460 36.70 
			 East Staffordshire 39,000 40 0.10 
			 Ellesmere Port and Neston 8,841 3,450 39.02 
			 Elmbridge 9,634 5,610 58.23 
			 Enfield 8,220 3,010 36.62 
			 Epping Forest 33,899 31,680 93.46 
			 Epsom and Ewell 3,407 1,560 45.78 
			 Erewash 10,963 7,850 71.60 
			 Fylde 16,553 1,790 10.81 
			 Gateshead 14,236 8,680 60.97 
			 Gedling 11,997 9,020 75.18 
			 Gravesham 9,902 7,660 77.36 
			 Greenwich 4,734  0.00 
			 Guildford 27,093 24,110 88.99 
			 Halton UA 7,909 2,550 32.24 
			 Hambleton 131,117 1,520 1.16 
			 Haringey 2,959 60 2.03 
			 Harlow 3,054 630 20.63 
			 Harrogate 130,913 14,450 11.04 
			 Harrow 5,047 1,090 21.60 
			 Havering 11,236 6,020 53.58 
			 Hertsmere 10,116 8,040 79.48 
			 High Peak 54,025 4,000 7.40 
			 Hillingdon 11,570 4,960 42.87 
			 Hounslow 5,599 1,220 21.79 
			 Hyndburn 7,299 4,120 56.44 
			 Kingston upon Thames 3,725 640 17.18 
			 Kirklees 40,860 25,510 62.43 
			 Knowsley 8,647 4,660 53.89 
			 Lancaster 57,585 1,730 3.00 
			 Leeds 55,173 34,380 62.31 
			 Lichfield 33,130 15,220 45.94 
			 Liverpool 11,415 540 4.73 
			 Luton UA 4,335 140 3.23 
			 Macclesfield 52,498 34,080 64.92 
			 Maidstone 39,333 530 135 
			 Manchester 11,565 1,710 14.79 
			 Medway UA 19,203 1,340 6.98 
			 Mendip 73,944 850 1.15 
			 Mid Bedfordshire 50,285 9,490 18.87 
			 Mid Sussex 33,403 20 0.06 
			 Mole Valley 25,832 19,660 76.11 
			 New Forest DC 75,329 4,830 6.41 
			 Newark and Sherwood 65,132 6,280 9.64 
			 Newcastle-under-Lyme 21,096 9,420 44.65 
			 Newcastle-upon-Tyne 11,355 4,390 38.66 
			 Newham 3,621 80 2.21 
			 North East Derbyshire 27,561 10,340 37.52 
			 North Hertfordshire 37,537 14,060 37.46 
			 North Somerset UA 37,468 15,480 41.32 
			 North Tyneside 8,247 1,660 20.13 
			 North Warwickshire 28,427 17,480 61.49 
			 North Wiltshire 76,767 1,800 2.34 
			 Nottingham 7,461 750 10.05 
			 Nuneaton and Bedworth 7,895 3,793 48.04 
			 Oldham 14,235 6,260 43.98 
			 Oxford 4,561 1,300 28.50 
			 Pendle 16,936 2,070 12.22 
			 Poole UA 30,370 1,900 6.26 
			 Preston 6,475 660 10.19 
			 Pubic 14,229 7,300 51.30 
			 Redbridge 40,442 2,070 5.12 
			 Redditch 5,425 1,830 33.73 
			 Reigate and Banstead 12,913 8,800 68.15 
			 Ribble Valley 58,447 1,720 2.94 
			 Richmond upon Thames 5,741 140 2.44 
			 Rochdale 15,808 9,920 62.75 
			 Rochford 16,950 12,770 75.34 
			 Rossendale 13,805 3,130 22.67 
			 Rotherham 28,653 20,650 72.07 
			 Rugby 35,356 20,680 58.49 
			 Runnymede 7,804 6,140 78,67 
			 Rushcliffe 40,924 17,200 42.03 
			 Ryedale 150,659 860 0.57 
			 Salford 9,719 3,370 34.67 
			 Sandwell 8,556 820 9.58 
			 Sefton 15,314 7,840 51.20 
			 Selby 59,931 19,240 32.10 
			 Sevenoaks 37,035 34,380 92.83 
			 Sheffield 36,795 9,130 24.81 
			 Slough 3,254 830 25.50 
			 Solihull 17,829 11,930 66.91 
			 South Bedfordshire 21,282 18,720 87.96 
			 South Bucks 14,127 12,220 86.50 
			 South Cambridgeshire 90,163 23,430 25.99 
			 South Derbyshire 33,812 2,390 7.07 
			 South Gloucestershire UA 49,695 23,230 46.75 
			 South Oxfordshire 67,854 15,360 22.64 
			 South Ribble 11,296 7,730 68.43 
			 South Staffordshire 40,732 32,310 79,32 
			 South Tyneside 6,493 2,410 37.12 
			 Southend-on-Sea UA 4,176 640 15.33 
			 Spelthorne 5,116 3,320 64.90 
			 St. Albans 16,118 13,100 81.28 
			 St. Helens 13,639 8,880 65.11 
			 Stratford 59,817 11,140 18.62 
			 Staffordshire Moorlands 57,585 17,430 30.27 
			 Stevenage 2,596 360 13.87 
			 Stockport 12,605 5,840 46.33 
			 Stoke-on-Trent UA 9,345 1,790 19.15 
			 Stratford-on-Avon 97,787 22,380 22.89 
			 Sunderland 13,766 3,490 25.35 
			 Surrey Heath 9,509 4,200 44.17 
			 Sutton 4,385 620 14.14 
			 Tameside 10,319 5,070 49.13 
			 Tamworth 3,085 200 6.48 
			 Tandridge 24,819 23,280 93.80 
			 Test Valley 62,760 0 0.00 
			 Tewkesbury 41,439 6,580 15.88 
			 Three Rivers 8,881 6,810 76.68 
			 Thurrock UA 16,338 11,980 73.33 
			 Tonbridge and Malling 23,800 17,060 71.68 
			 Trafford 10,603 4,060 38.29 
			 Tunbridge Wells 33,133 7,180 21.67 
			 Tynedale 221,943 27,440 12.36 
			 Uttlesford 64,118 3,810 5.94 
			 Vale of White Horse 57,864 8,320 14.38 
			 Vale Royal 38,019 17,270 45.42 
			 Wakefield 33,861 23,890 70.55 
			 Walsall 10,395 3,940 37.90 
			 Waltham Forest 3,882 840 21.64 
			 Warrington 18,063 11,510 63.72 
			 Warwick 28,288 19,950 70.52 
			 Watford 2,142 410 19.14 
			 Waverley 34,517 21,150 61.27 
			 Welwyn Hatfield 12,955 10,250 79.12 
			 West Lancashire 34,679 32,090 92.53 
			 West Oxfordshire 71,440 1,610 2.25 
			 West Wiltshire 51,692 5,140 9.94 
			 Wigan 18,819 10,650 56.59 
			 Windsor and Maidenhead 19,843 16,520 83.25 
			 Wirral 15,705 7,330 46.67 
			 Woking 6,360 4,020 63.21 
			 Wokingham 17,897 2,890 16.15 
			 Wolverhampton 6,943 800 11.52 
			 Worcester 3,328 230 6.91 
			 Wychavon 66,354 8,910 13.43 
			 Wycombe 32,457 15,620 48.12 
			 Wyre 28,256 760 2.69 
			 Wyre Forest 19,540 11,210 57.37 
			 (1) Areas less than 5 hectares.  Source: Area of LA2006 Ordinance Survey Boundary line at mean high water. Extent of Green Belt LandCommunities and Local Government Statistical Releases: Green Belt Statistics, England 2006. 
		
	
	 Mean High Water (MHW)
	Mean high water (MHW) is the average elevation of all high waters recorded at a particular point or station over a considerable period of time, usually 19 years. For shorter periods of observation, corrections are applied to eliminate known variations and reduce the result to the equivalent of a mean 19-year value.
	Source:
	http://www.ecy.wa.gov/programs/sea/swces/products/pubications/glossary/words/H_M.htm#M

Home Information Packs

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what assessment she has made of the impact of the introduction of home information packs on the residential housing market in the six areas trial.

Yvette Cooper: I refer the hon. Member to my answer of 29 October 2007,  Official Report, column 655W.

Home Information Packs

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what estimate she has made of the effect of the introduction of home information packs on the number of properties being placed on the market.

Yvette Cooper: I refer the hon. Member to the written ministerial statement 'Home Information Packs' made on 22 November 2007,  Official Report, column 140-42WS.

Home Information Packs

Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the written ministerial statement of 22 November 2007,  Official Report, columns 140-2WS, on home information packs, which 85 local authorities have reduced their charges for average property searches by 30 on average as a result of the introduction of home information packs.

Yvette Cooper: The list of local authorities is as follows:
	 LAs that have reduced their property search charges:
	Arun
	Ashfield
	Ashford
	Babergh
	Barnsley
	Bassetlaw
	Birmingham
	Bolsover
	Brentwood
	Brighton
	Broadland
	Bromley
	Castle Point
	Chelmsford
	Cherwell
	Chiltern
	Christchurch
	Colchester
	Cotswold
	Crewe
	Derby
	Derbyshire Dales
	East Herts
	East Lindsey
	East Riding
	East Staffs
	Eden
	Elmbridge
	Epping Forest
	Exeter
	Gateshead
	Guildford
	Hambleton
	Harrogate
	Havant
	Hertsmere
	Kingston upon Thames
	Knowsley
	Lewes
	Liverpool
	Medway
	Melton
	Mid Devon
	Mid Sussex
	New Forest
	Newark
	North Hertfordshire
	Northampton
	Oswestry
	Pembrokeshire
	Plymouth
	Portsmouth
	Redditch
	Restormel
	Rushmoor
	Salford
	Sefton
	Shepway
	Slough
	South Bucks
	South Gloucester
	South Hams
	South Lakeland
	St. Albans
	St. Edmundsbury
	Stafford
	Staffordshire Moorlands
	Surrey Heath
	Sutton
	Test Valley
	Thanet
	Torbay
	Torridge
	Wakefield
	Waltham Forest
	Wansbeck
	Warrington
	Warwicks
	Wealden
	West Somerset
	Winchester
	Worcester
	Worthing
	Wychavon
	Wyre.

Home Information Packs

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many  (a) domestic energy assessors and  (b) home information pack inspectors have had their licences revoked.

Yvette Cooper: Domestic energy assessor (DBA) accreditation schemes and home inspector (HI) certification schemes have not reported that they have revoked (permanently withdrawn) the accreditation or certification of any HIs or DEAs.

Home Information Packs

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what estimate she has made of the number of home information pack companies which have closed in the last 12 months; and if she will make a statement.

Yvette Cooper: The Department is not aware of any home information pack providers which have closed in the last 12 months.

Home Information Packs: Finance

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government when Europe Economics completed its economic analysis of home information packs; and if she will place in the Library a copy of the final report.

Yvette Cooper: I refer the hon. Member to the written ministerial statement 'Home Information Packs' made on 22 November 2007,  Official Report, columns 140-42WS.

Housing

Dai Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what arrangement she plans to put in place to ensure liaison with the  (a) Welsh Assembly Government and  (b) Scottish Executive respectively, in cases where housing development on brownfield land acquired by the New English Homes and Communities Agency that immediately adjoins the national borders with Wales or Scotland will have a consequent environmental or planning impact on land in Wales or Scotland.

Yvette Cooper: Should such a situation arise, we would expect the Homes and Communities Agency to consider fully the wider impact of any work it was undertaking and to liaise with the appropriate authorities. We are developing a tasking framework, which will set out our expectations of how the agency will work in practice.
	We expect to liaise with colleagues in the Welsh Assembly and Scottish Executive on the arrangements for cases in border areas.

Housing: Applications

Ian Gibson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government 
	(1)  if she will commission research into the quality of assessments of the vulnerability of homeless applicants, housing medical assessments and assessments on disabled facilities grant applications which have been made by private companies;
	(2)  if she will issue guidance on the methodology to be adopted by private medical assessors providing homelessness vulnerability assessments, housing medical assessments and assessments for disabled facilities grant applications.

Iain Wright: It is for individual local authorities to determine how best to make assessments which may require specialist medical advice, and from whom to seek appropriate advice, while ensuring that they meet their statutory obligations. The Government have no current plans to commission research into such assessments or issue guidance on methodology to be adopted.

Housing: Finance

Austin Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much the Government spent on housing in each financial year since 1997-98; and of these sums how much was  (a) spent on council owned housing stock,  (b) spent through registered social landlords and  (c) used to support home ownership schemes in each year.

Iain Wright: The following table shows the overall capital sums invested in housing; investment in council owned housing stock; through registered social landlords and by registered social landlords to support home ownership schemes from 1997-98 to 2006-07. The total is greater than the component parts set out as it includes, for the most part, local authority investment in private sector housing. The balance between the total investment figures provided and the sum of the council and registered social landlords figures relate to grants provided to the private sector such as housing market renewal and disabled facilities grant.
	
		
			   million 
			   Total CLG capital investment in housing  (a) council owned stock  (b) registered social landlords  (c) Home ownership schemes (included in (b)) 
			 1997-98 1,894 909 727 160 
			 1998-99 2,098 1,135 732 115 
			 1999-2000 2,173 1,126 815 79 
			 2000-01 2,866 1,959 830 97 
			 2001-02 3,312 2,378 823 90 
			 2002-03 3,598 2,459 1,030 187 
			 2003-04 4,685 2,683 1,805 498 
			 2004-05 4,767 2,772 1,626 469 
			 2005-06 5,106 3,055 1,609 581 
			 2006-07 5,194 2,442 1,953 443 
		
	
	Government investment in council owned housing stock has primarily been provided through the housing revenue account (HRA) subsidy system in the form of local authorities supported capital expenditure (SCE), ALMOs supported borrowing allocations and major repairs allowance (MRA). Other funding also included in the figures are funding through Estate Action and Housing Action Trusts.
	Prior to 2006-07, local authorities were provided with SCE for the renewal of private sector housing combined with that for their own stock. In the table therefore the SCE for private sector renewal is included in the council housing column as it cannot be disaggregated until 2006-07.
	For registered social landlords the table includes capital expenditure via Housing Corporation which is for new supply and gap funding for stock transfers. Home ownership schemes are a subset of Housing Corporation capital investment.

Housing: Finance

Austin Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government where surpluses accruing nationally from housing revenue accounts have been allocated in each year since 1997; and from which of the departmental budgets national housing revenue accounts have been financed in the same years.

Yvette Cooper: Until 2004-05, the housing revenue account subsidy system contained two distinct elements; the 'bricks and mortar' element where assumed spend and income on local authority housing was used to calculate the authority's entitlement to this element of subsidy and the rent rebate element.
	Prior to 1 April 2004, if the bricks and mortar element of HRA subsidy was in surplus, that surplus was applied to the housing benefit bill of the local authority. This practice was discontinued in 2004-05. Any surplus still remaining was transferred to the authority's general fund.
	The bricks and mortar element of the HRA subsidy system has been in deficit nationally since 2001-02, when this Government was first able to change the local authority housing spending plans it had inherited from the previous administration.
	HRA subsidy expenditure is scored in Communities and Local Government against the 'HRA subsidy programme' budget, which is classified as annually managed expenditure, reflecting the demand led, volatile nature of HRA subsidy entitlement at a national level.

Housing: Low Incomes

Ian Gibson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government 
	(1)  if she will commission research into the accuracy of decisions being made by private companies providing paper-based assessments of the vulnerability of homeless applicants, housing medical assessments and decisions on disabled facilities grant applications;
	(2)  if she will issue guidance on the methodology to be adopted by private medical assessors providing paper-based homelessness vulnerability assessments, housing medical assessments and decisions on disabled facilities grant applications.

Iain Wright: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave today to Questions 169433 and 169434.

Housing: Solar Power

Mark Lancaster: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government when she plans to publish the new planning guidance for the installation of domestic solar panels.

Yvette Cooper: We published on 30 November the Government response to the consultation on permitted development rights for householder microgeneration. The Government have decided that the main types of microgeneration technology, including solar, will be permitted development subject to certain conditions and limits to reduce impacts on neighbours. Our aim is to deliver these changes through amendments to secondary legislation in April of next year.

Housing: Standards

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what targets the Government set for house building in each of the last 10 years; how many houses were built in each of the last 10 years; and if she will make a statement.

Iain Wright: Detailed housing targets are not directly set by government, but are set out in regional and local plans which are developed through regional and local planning processes.
	However, Government do set the overall strategy for housing supply in England, and have announced several targets for supply in recent years. For example, the Government's response to the 2005 Barker Review of Housing Supply announced an ambition to increase housing supply from around 150,000 to 200,000 per annum by 2016.
	Most recently, the Housing Green Paper, published in July, set out a target to increase housing supply to 240,000 additional homes per annum by 2016.
	The number of new homes built in each of the last 10 years is set out in the following table. The information is also published on the Communities and Local Government website:
	http://www.communities.gov.uk/documents/housing/xls/323495.
	The Housing Green Paper commitment is measured against net additional dwellings (new build plus gains and losses from conversions, change of use and demolitions). The latest figures for 2005-06 show 185,000 net addition dwellings delivered in England.
	
		
			  Table 209 House  building: Permanent dwellings completed, by tenure( 1)  and country 
			  Number of dwellings 
			  Financial year  United Kingdom  England  Wales  Scotland  Northern Ireland 
			  All dwellings  
			 1990-91 198,074 160,032 10,999 19,457 7,586 
			 1991-92 191,825 155,132 10,421 18,956 7,316 
			 1992-93 178,915 142,461 9,991 18,902 7,561 
			 1993-94 185,960 147,714 10,099 20,985 7,162 
			 1994-95 197,169 157,966 10,335 22,136 6,732 
			 1995-96 198,212 154,599 9,982 24,381 9,250 
			 1996-97 185,654 146,246 10,088 20,414 8,906 
			 1997-98 190,748 149,555 8,432 22,580 10,181 
			 1998-99 178,720 140,708 7,737 20,637 9,638 
			 1999-2000 185,360 142,046 8,706 24,209 10,399 
			 2000-01 176,721 133,255 8,333 23,465 11,668 
			 2001-02 175,236 129,866 8,273 23,610 13,487 
			 2002-03 183,825 137,739 8,310 23,361 14,415 
			 2003-04 190,427 143,958 8,296 23,662 14,511 
			 2004-05 206,498 155,893 8,492 26,345 15,768 
			 2005-06 213,372 163,398 8,257 24,307 17,410 
			 2006-07(2)  167,577 9,334  17,948 
			   
			  Private enterprise  
			 1990-91 162,182 132,499 8,667 15,305 5,711 
			 1991-92 160,664 132,045 7,538 15,528 5,553 
			 1992-93 144,367 115,913 7,132 15,563 5,759 
			 1993-94 145,914 116,050 6,729 17,407 5,728 
			 1994-95 156,547 125,738 7,264 18,195 5,350 
			 1995-96 156,696 123,616 7,275 18,955 6,850 
			 1996-97 153,165 121,165 7,517 17,210 7,273 
			 1997-98 160,675 127,835 6,492 17,977 8,371 
			 1998-99 154,988 121,645 6,439 18,764 8,140 
			 1999-2000 160,730 124,716 7,860 19,037 9,117 
			 2000-01 152,577 116,644 7,386 18,035 10,512 
			 2001-02 153,333 115,701 7,494 18,066 12,072 
			 2002-03 163,938 124,457 7,522 18,572 13,387 
			 2003-04 171,845 130,096 7,863 19,935 13,951 
			 2004-05 183,651 139,132 7,986 21,593 14,940 
			 2005-06 188,653 144,937 7,883 19,205 16,628 
			 2006-07(2)  145,383 8,988  16,621 
			   
			  Registered social landlords  
			 1990-91 19,342 14,575 1,865 2,351 551 
			 1991-92 21,134 15,974 2,549 1,809 802 
			 1992-93 30,115 23,969 2,732 2,561 853 
			 1993-94 36,435 30,213 3,095 2,581 546 
			 1994-95 37,652 31,375 2,927 2,846 504 
			 1995-96 38,471 30,226 2,510 4,697 1,038 
			 1996-97 30,951 24,630 2,548 2,963 810 
			 1997-98 28,554 21,397 1,938 4,489 730 
			 1998-99 22,867 18,885 1,269 1,753 960 
			 1999-00 24,313 17,272 846 5,103 1,092 
			 2000-01 23,762 16,432 900 5,318 1,112 
			 2001-02 21,678 14,102 711 5,479 1,386 
			 2002-03 19,586 13,083 782 4,695 1,026 
			 2003-04 18,375 13,671 417 3,727 560 
			 2004-05 22,716 16,661 475 4,752 828 
			 2005-06 24,393 18,162 347 5,102 782 
			 2006-07(2)  21,949 346  1,327 
			   
			  Local authorities  
			 1990-91 16,550 12,958 467 1,801 1,324 
			 1991-92 10,027 7,113 334 1,619 961 
			 1992-93 4,433 2,579 127 778 949 
			 1993-94 3,611 1,451 275 997 888 
			 1994-95 2,970 853 144 1,095 878 
			 1995-96 3,045 757 197 729 1,362 
			 1996-97 1,538 451 23 241 823 
			 1997-98 1,519 323 2 114 1,080 
			 1998-99 865 178 29 120 538 
			 1999-2000 317 58  69 190 
			 2000-01 382 179 47 112 44 
			 2001-02 225 63 68 65 29 
			 2002-03 301 199 6 94 2 
			 2003-04 207 191 16   
			 2004-05 131 100 31   
			 2005-06 326 299 27   
			 2006-07(2)  245
			 (1 )For detailed definitions of all tenures, see Definitions of housing terms in Housing Statistics home page (2) Provisional  Sources: P2m returns from local authorities, returns from National House-Building Council (NHBC), Welsh Assembly, Scottish Executive, Department for Social Development

Housing: Valuation

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if she will place in the Library a copy of the joint Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors/Valuation Office Agency guidance note on contractor's basis valuations.

John Healey: The Joint Professional Institutions' Rating Valuation Forum produced the guidance note on the Contractor's Basis. This consisted of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS), the Institute of Revenues Rating and Valuation, the Rating Surveyors Association, the Scottish Assessors Association, the Valuation and Lands Agency (Northern Ireland) and the Valuation Office Agency. It is published by RICS Business Services Limited, to provide assistance to surveyors in undertaking methods of rating valuation. As such, the hon. Member and the Library of the House should seek to obtain a copy through the RICS.

Infrastructure Planning Commission: Finance

Dai Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government with reference to paragraph (iv) on page 32 of the Impact Assessment of the Planning Bill, what  (a) factors and  (b) methodologies were taken into account in calculating the one-off start-up costs of the Infrastructure Planning Commission.

John Healey: The Planning Bill Impact Assessment was compiled using standard cost-benefit methodology. Page 32 of the Impact Assessment states that the one-off start-up costs of the Infrastructure Planning Commission are estimated at 5 million. The factors taken into account include the cost of communications start-up activities, recruitment, organisation-specific IT software, and contingencies.

Internet: Protection

James Brokenshire: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what assessment she has made of the effectiveness of the Get Safe On Line campaign.

Gillian Merron: I have been asked to reply.
	The Get Safe Online campaign, a joint Government and industry initiative, has had a significant impact on awareness of internet safety. Following the first phase of the campaign in 2005, research of a representative sample of broadband users in the UK revealed that 22 per cent. were aware of the campaign. Of those, 40 per cent. said they would change their behaviour and 75 per cent. of those said they would back-up their files. At the end of 2006, the tracking study was repeated and 25 per cent. had heard of the campaign with 52 per cent. saying they would change their behaviour as a result.
	The third Get Safe Online week has just been completed this November and further research will be conducted on the campaigns impact at the end of this year. The Internet Safety Week has achieved over 250 items of media coverage including national television and radio as well as giving internet safety advice directly to people through roadshows in six cities across the UK.

Licensed Premises

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government which of  (a) her Department's and  (b) her Department's agencies' buildings have premises licences under the Licensing Act 2003.

Parmjit Dhanda: In relation to Communities and Local Government's premises, a licence is held by the Eland Darts Club which is located in Eland House, Victoria, London. This forms part of the Department's sports and recreation association (SPARTA).
	In relation to Communities and Local Government's agencies' premises, a licence is held by Operon for the Fire Service College at Moreton in Marsh, for the provision of bar facilities for delegates attending residential courses. A licence is also held by the Queen Elizabeth II Conference Centre.

Local Authorities: Publications

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government 
	(1)  what the total cost was of producing the pamphlet pack entitled Combating Misinformation - Fact Cards for Local Authorities;
	(2)  what the distribution list was of the pamphlet pack entitled Combating Misinformation - Fact Cards for Local Authorities;
	(3)  how many copies were produced of the pamphlet pack entitled Combating Misinformation - Fact Cards for Local Authorities.

John Healey: The cost of producing 9,000 Combating MisinformationFact Cards for Local Authorities packs was 4,110. The packs were distributed to: local authorities in England; the Local Government Association; and Government Offices for the English Regions.

Local Government

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the written statement of 5 December 2007,  Official Report, column 65WS, on local government, what assessment she has made of the likely effect of restructured councils that cross shire county boundaries on local identities; and of the likely levels of popular support for such councils.

John Healey: holding answer 11 December 2007
	It will be for the Boundary Committee to consider these matters to the extent that the Committee judges them to be relevant to their providing the advice requested by the Secretary of State.

Local Government Finance

Adrian Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much each unitary local authority received per head in each of the last seven years for which figures are available, in ascending order.

John Healey: I have deposited in the Library of the House tables showing the information on central Government funding per head for each unitary local authority from 2000-01 to 2006-07.

Local Government Finance

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the average grant per capita allocated to each unitary authority was in each year since 1997; and if she will make a statement.

John Healey: Information on central Government funding per head allocated to each unitary authority from 1997-98 to 2006-07 is in the following table.
	
		
			  Central  G overnment funding per head by unitary authority from 1997-98 to 2006-07 
			per head 
			   1997-98  1998-99  1999-2000  2000-01  2001-02  2002-03  2003-04  2004-05  2005-06  2006-07 
			 Bath and North East Somerset UA 493 512 536 565 603 622 718 724 770 810 
			 Bristol UA 578 606 641 695 720 111 926 933 1,004 1,040 
			 South Gloucestershire UA 465 493 522 565 622 631 713 736 796 837 
			 North Somerset UA 490 510 521 562 595 635 734 748 806 842 
			 Luton UA 670 711 754 836 886 948 1,083 1,138 1,195 1,249 
			 Bracknell Forest UA (1) 503 535 568 607 617 697 760 768 818 
			 West Berkshire UA (1) 537 547 617 652 674 794 821 892 912 
			 Reading UA (1) 554 582 633 663 711 841 877 938 951 
			 Slough UA (1) 762 829 927 946 980 1,134 1,192 1,257 1,277 
			 Windsor and Maidenhead UA (1) 478 618 524 573 590 833 850 905 723 
			 Wokingham UA (1) 410 461 487 513 515 587 638 738 721 
			 Milton Keynes UA 595 618 657 689 757 753 863 906 1,012 1,067 
			 Peterborough UA (1) 718 745 815 888 905 1,014 1,059 1,133 1,291 
			 Halton UA (1) 745 805 870 930 992 1,141 1,197 1,260 1,340 
			 Warrington UA (1) 564 601 645 691 718 841 868 917 973 
			 Hartlepool UA 720 768 835 904 967 1,055 1,204 1,255 1,309 1,382 
			 Middlesbrough UA 799 794 908 997 1,032 1,106 1,273 1,235 1,381 1,391 
			 Redcar and Cleveland UA 674 718 761 824 903 991 1,177 1,164 1,226 1,314 
			 Stockton-on-Tees UA 635 673 724 769 827 891 1,000 1,004 1,082 1,117 
			 Derby City UA 622 666 703 766 839 882 1,062 1,057 1,128 1,241 
			 Plymouth UA (1) 714 742 800 850 874 985 1,014 1,061 1,103 
			 Torbay UA (1) 631 649 726 730 774 905 921 983 1,028 
			 Poole UA 459 478 517 553 592 581 687 694 733 783 
			 Bournemouth UA 575 589 610 658 687 752 880 878 918 955 
			 Darlington UA 581 614 659 717 769 835 920 955 1,027 1,110 
			 Brighton and Hove UA 610 647 674 724 773 843 980 997 1,029 1,057 
			 Southend-on-Sea UA (1) 654 701 776 848 889 985 1,010 1,067 1,120 
			 Thurrock UA (1) 615 663 720 772 866 971 1,001 1,046 1,064 
			 Portsmouth UA 630 686 720 774 813 880 979 1,002 1,090 1,118 
			 Southampton UA 630 662 699 771 814 858 994 1,020 1,084 1,075 
			 Herefordshire UA (1) 494 529 573 621 681 776 828 885 901 
			 East Riding of Yorkshire UA 524 545 586 626 655 684 784 798 842 876 
			 Kingston upon Hull UA 735 780 838 914 995 1,058 1,187 1,193 1,252 1,299 
			 North East Lincolnshire UA 647 694 746 805 871 911 1,080 1,092 1,117 1,238 
			 North Lincolnshire UA 622 641 664 719 758 818 933 925 995 1,066 
			 Isle of Wight UA 585 630 652 696 763 798 903 964 1,012 1,066 
			 The Medway Towns UA (1) 652 683 740 782 817 913 938 990 1,045 
			 Blackburn with Darwen UA (1) 789 847 905 982 1,057 1,244 1,295 1,407 1,476 
			 Blackpool UA (1) 675 728 792 854 940 1,082 1,117 1,191 1,249 
			 Leicester City UA 788 803 846 913 969 1,071 1,247 1,316 1,376 1,420 
			 Rutland UA 463 474 487 504 575 627 674 693 747 790 
			 York UA 464 480 512 552 581 616 714 718 755 780 
			 City of Nottingham UA (1) 738 808 869 937 998 1,196 1,327 1,378 1,432 
			 Telford and the Wrekin UA (1) 605 650 697 736 785 912 951 1,044 1,098 
			 Stoke-on-Trent UA 604 661 723 806 832 933 1,061 1,111 1,195 1,249 
			 Swindon UA 516 546 579 650 687 713 826 860 932 960 
			 (1) Not relevant.   Notes:  1. Central Government funding is defined here as the sum of formula grant (Revenue support grant and redistributed non-domestic rates) and specific grants inside aggregate external finance (AEF), i.e. revenue grants paid for council's core services. In past years, where applicable the standard spending assessment reduction grant and central support protection grants have also been included.  2. Figures exclude grants outside AEF (i.e. where funding is not for authorities' core services, but is passed to a third party, for example, rent allowances and rebates), capital grants, funding for the local authorities' housing management responsibilities and those grant programmes (such as European funding) where authorities are simply one of the recipients of funding paid towards an area.  3. Population figures used in the calculation are the Office for National Statistics (ONS) mid-year population estimates for respective year.  4. Comparisons across years may not be valid due to changing local authority responsibilities.   Source:  Communities and Local Government Revenue Outturn (RO) returns

Local Government Finance

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what  (a) resource DEL and  (b) net aggregate external finance was allocated to local authorities in England in each year from 1997-98; and how much has been budgeted for each year to 2010-11.

John Healey: The following table provides the information requested on net aggregate external finance (AEF); and figures for total AEF. The figures up to 2007-08 are those announced at the time of the annual local government finance settlement. The figures for 2008-09 onwards are those I announced to the House on 6 December 2007 in the provisional local government finance settlement 2008-09. These totals are not adjusted for changes in finance or function and cannot be compared between years.
	Total AEF is the total of Government revenue support for local authorities' core services and includes the total of general grant support and specific grants. Net AEF is the amount set aside for revenue support grant and national non-domestic rates.
	
		
			   billion 
			   Net AEF  Total AEF 
			 1997-98 30.702 35.767 
			 1998-99 32.030 37.521 
			 1999-2000 33.514 39.545 
			 2000-01 34.836 41.771 
			 2001-02 36.259 44.661 
			 2002-03 36.557 47.393 
			 2003-04 39.874 51.551 
			 2004-05 42.010 54.860 
			 2005-06 44.726 60.144 
			 2006-07 20.943 62.127 
			 2007-08 21.663 65.794 
			 2008-09 23.409 70.408 
			 2009-10 24.051 73.484 
			 2010-11 24.672 76.671 
		
	
	The Department does not keep historical records over time of the amount allocated through resource DEL to local authorities, which will come from a range of departmental expenditure limits. Total AEF is the best measure of the overall amount of revenue grant provided by Government for core local authority services.

Local Government Finance

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what level of local government revenue expenditure was financed by specific grants, in absolute cash terms, in each year since 1997-98.

John Healey: The level of local government revenue expenditure financed by specific grants, in cash terms, in each year since 1997-98 is shown in the following table.
	
		
			   million 
			   Specific grants 
			 1997-98 1,826 
			 1998-99 2,335 
			 1999-2000 2,921 
			 2000-01 4,671 
			 2001-02 6,552 
			 2002-03 8,901 
			 2003-04 13,447 
			 2004-05 14,090 
			 2005-06 14,785 
			 2006-07 41,771 
			  Notes: 1. The large change in specific grant in 2006-07 is largely due to changes in the way the expenditure on schools is funded. Local authorities now receive dedicated schools grant, included in specific grants, replacing funding previously included in formula grant. 2. Specific grants are defined as the specific grants inside aggregate external finance (AEF), i.e. revenue grants paid for council's core services. 3. Figures exclude grants outside AEF (i.e. where funding is not for authorities' core services, but is passed to a third party, for example, rent allowances and rebates), capital grants, funding for the local authorities' housing management responsibilities and those grant programmes (such as European funding) where authorities are simply one of the recipients of funding paid towards an area. 4. Comparisons across years may not be valid due to changing local authority responsibilities.  Source: Communities and Local Government Revenue Outturn (RO) returns

Local Government Finance: Elderly

Brian Jenkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what consideration she gave to the percentage of the population aged over 65 years in  (a) Staffordshire and  (b) Tamworth constituency when determining local authority grant allocation; and if she will make a statement.

John Healey: The sub-national population projections of people aged 65 and over are used in the Social Services for Older People Relative Need Formula (RNF) to determine the number of projected household and supported residents aged 65 years and over. A Social Services for Older People RNF is calculated for Staffordshire county council since it is the authority with responsibility for social services within its area.

Local Government Finance: Immigrants

Brian Jenkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what considerations she gave to the number of immigrants in  (a) Staffordshire and  (b) Tamworth constituency when determining local authority grant allocation; and if she will make a statement.

John Healey: For the majority of the Relative Needs Formulae used in the calculation of the Relative Needs Amount, the client group is based on the sub-national population projections for the appropriate age group. The sub-national population projections estimate the number of people who are resident in the area for over a year, including immigrants.
	When calculating formula grant allocations, we use the best data that are available, that treat all authorities on a consistent basis and that are available at the time. In the case of the population projections, these are the revised 2004-based sub-national population projections produced by the Office for National Statistics (ONS).

Local Government Finance: Immigrants

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government 
	(1)  what assessment her Department has made of the effect of changes in net immigration on  (a) council tax and  (b) local authority funding;
	(2)  what estimate she has made of the effect of the change in net migration not accounted for in the Government's initial estimates on council tax bills.

John Healey: The Government worked closely with local authorities during the comprehensive spending review 2007 to identify all pressures over the next three years, and the ways to manage them. The provisional local government finance settlement I announced recently provides local authorities with a total increase in Government grant of 2.7 billion, 3.1 billion and 3.2 billion over the next three years (increases of 4 per cent., 4.4 per cent. and 4.3 per cent. respectively). An additional 4.9 billion is potentially available by 2010-11 through the delivery of 3 per cent. efficiency gains each year. We believe that authorities are able to meet the pressures on their services while keeping average council tax increases substantially below 5 per cent. a year.
	Many migrants are, of course, self-sufficient, employed and contribute to the local economy and do not put any significant pressure on public services. However, we recognise that other types of migrants such as unaccompanied minors do create real pressures, as can large movements of people into an area in a short space of time. So we recognise that some individual local authorities are experiencing more challenges than others.
	We have therefore already announced a 50 million investment over the next three years to promote community cohesion and support local authorities in preventing and managing community tensions. This money will help local authorities respond to their own particular challenges, including for example issues relating to new migration.

Local Government Finance: Public Participation

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government by whom the decision would be taken to hold a ballot, under her proposals to introduce powers to ballot on local spending decisions.

John Healey: The Governance of Britain Green Paper, issued in July, said the Government will consult on introducing powers, for example to local authorities, to ballot a local community on spending decisions. We will consult in the new year on a strategy for Participatory Budgeting, which will cover the use of ballots.

Local Government Finance: Staffordshire

Brian Jenkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the local authority grant settlement per capita was in  (a) Staffordshire and  (b) Tamworth constituency in each year since 1997; and if she will make a statement.

John Healey: The following table shows the average formula grant per head for  (a) Staffordshire and  (b) Tamworth for each year since 1997. Formula grant comprises revenue support grant and redistributed business rates. In order to compare grant on a like-for-like basis we calculate a notional adjusted formula grant for the previous year which reflects the changes to funding and function. From 2006-07 support for schools was financed through the dedicated schools grant; prior to 2006-07 support for schools was included within formula grant.
	
		
			   Staffordshire county council  Tamworth borough council 
			 Change in formula grant per headChange in formula grant per head 
			  Current year  Adjusted formula grant per head for the previous year  ( per head)  Formula grant per head for the current year  ( per head)  ( per head)  (Percentage)  Adjusted formula grant per head for the previous year  ( per head)  Formula grant per head for the current yea r  ( per head)  ( per head)  (Percentage) 
			 1998-99 444.54 453.71 9.17 2.1 63.73 59.87 -3.86 -6.1 
			 1999-2000 453.71 475.56 21.85 4.8 59.87 60.37 0.50 0.8 
			 2000-01 475.56 491.45 15.89 3.3 60.37 61.98 1.61 2.7 
			 2001-02 488.20 504.39 16.19 3.3 62.45 64.85 2.40 3.8 
			 2002-03 471.53 496.34 24.81 5.3 63.95 66.77 2.82 4.4 
			 Amended 2003-04 521.55 559.09 37.54 7.2 65.23 72.54 7.31 11.2 
			 Amended 2004-05 545.59 579.78 34.20 6.3 66.85 70.89 4.05 6.1 
			 Amended 2005-06 584.22 614.06 29.84 5.1 71.15 74.55 3.40 4.8 
			 2006-07 141.59 144.77 3.18 2.2 80.98 83.81 2.83 3.5 
			 2007-08 143.61 148.61 5.00 3.5 83.57 86.83 3.26 3.9 
		
	
	I announced the provisional settlement for local government for the years 2008-09 to 2010-11 to the House on Thursday 6 December 2007.

Local Government Finance: Staffordshire

Brian Jenkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what consideration she gave to the average household income in  (a) Staffordshire and  (b) Tamworth when determining the local authorities' grants allocation; and if she will make a statement.

John Healey: Household income is not a factor that has been shown to influence the relative costs to local authorities of delivering any particular service. However, various measures of deprivation are included within the Relative Needs Formulae, for example the number of income support claimants and the number of people receiving unemployment-related benefits.

Members: Correspondence

Michael Spicer: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the letter of 18 September from the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Ref: YC/WR/025283/07), when she expects to reply to the letter from the hon. Member for West Worcestershire of 19 October.

Iain Wright: I replied to the hon. Member's correspondence on 7 December.

Non-Domestic Rates: Combined Heat and Power

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether a combined heat and power (CHP) certificate issued by the Secretary of State provides a discount or exemption on the business rates liability of the CHP system.

John Healey: Where, in the case of a combined heat and power station, the Secretary of State has provided a certificate of either full or partial exemption in accordance with paragraph 148(2) or, as the case may be, paragraph 148(3) of schedule 6 to the Finance Act 2000, then certain items of plant and machinery will be disregarded in whole or in part when valuing the station for non-domestic rates.

Non-Domestic Rates: Valuation

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government 
	(1)  which property attributes will form part of the Valuation Office Agency's multiple regression analysis in its proposed automated valuation model for business rates;
	(2)  how much has been spent by the Valuation Office Agency on an automated valuation model for business rate valuations.

John Healey: The VOA is investigating the use of outputs from the use of multiple regression analysis techniques as a tool to assist valuers when making judgments about appropriate value levels for the next revaluation of non-domestic property in 2010.
	The investigation covers office and industrial property and the attributes used within the analysis are location, age of property and floor area. In the course of this investigation the VOA has spent in the region of 155,000 to include the full pay costs of relevant VOA staff.

Non-Domestic Rates: Valuation

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether the rateable value of a business premise changes between statutory revaluations if there is a material change to the property.

John Healey: The rateable value of a business premises, known as a hereditament, may be altered between statutory revaluations if there has been a material change of circumstances. Rate payers may make a proposal to the Valuation Office to alter the rateable value, or Valuation Officers may alter the rateable value of the hereditament as part of their duty to maintain the rating list.

Non-Domestic Rates: Valuation

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether Ordnance Survey plans to use an automated valuation model for the 2010 business rates revaluation.

John Healey: The Valuation Office Agency (VOA), not Ordnance Survey, is responsible for the 2010 revaluation of non-domestic property.
	An AVM is a tool that could support valuers in the valuation process, through the use of multiple regression analysis techniques. The VOA are investigating the use of such a tool.

Office for Tenants and Social Landlords

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what powers the proposed Office for Tenants and Social Landlords will have over land and properties held by  (a) local authorities and  (b) housing associations.

Yvette Cooper: The Housing and Regeneration Bill proposes that the new social housing regulator, the Office for Tenants and Social Landlords, (OFTENANT) should retain the Housing Corporation's current powers to secure land and properties owned by housing associations which are registered providers of social housing under the Bill. These include:
	Clauses 135-149 provide for a moratorium on the disposal of land by a housing association which is a registered provider subject to conditions and exemptions, where the housing association's creditors take steps to enforce their security over the association's land. During the moratorium the regulator can make proposals about the future ownership and management of the housing association's land. The regulator may appoint a manager to implement the proposals.
	Clauses 157-159 permit the regulator to transfer land held by a housing association which is a registered provider and which is dissolved or wound-up, to another registered provider or to the regulator.
	Clauses 160 to 165 of the Bill provide that any disposal of land by a registered housing association require the regulator's consent unless they fall within an exception. They list those exceptions, and outline the procedure for consent.
	Clauses 168-169 give the regulator the Housing Corporation's powers of consent over disposals of grant-aided land held by unregistered housing associations.
	Clauses 229-230 allow the regulator to direct a housing association which is a registered provider to transfer its land to another registered provider, or to the regulator, if satisfied following a statutory inquiry that there has been a breach of standards set by the regulator or mismanagement or that management would of the land is likely to be improved by a transfer.
	The Housing and Regeneration Bill does not give the regulator any powers over land and properties held by local authorities. We intend that local authorities will be brought within the scope of the new regulator within two years of housing associations being regulated by it, through further primary legislation.

Regional European Offices: Expenditure

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much funding the Government provides to the North West Brussels Office.

Stephen Timms: I have been asked to reply.
	The North West Development Agency provided funds of 61,231 to the North West Brussels Office in 2006-07.

Regional European Offices: Expenditure

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government 
	(1)  how much was spent by the North East of England Brussels Office in the last year for which figures are available;
	(2)  how much was spent by the South West UK Brussels Office in the last year for which figures are available;
	(3)  how much was spent by the East Midlands European Office in the last year for which figures are available;
	(4)  how much was spent on the North West Brussels Office in the last year for which figures are available;
	(5)  what the expenditure was of the West Midlands in Europe office in the last year for which figures are available.

Stephen Timms: I have been asked to reply.
	The following table shows the expenditure of UK regional European offices in the last year (2006-07).
	
		
			  UK regional European office  Expenditure 2006-07 (000)  Notes 
			 West Midlands in Europe Brussels Office 757 The income for this office came from a large number of public and private sector subscribers in the West Midlands region 
			 East Midlands European Office 335 This is not an overseas office focused only in inward investment, but a regional representation office (with wider partnerships, including local government, universities and other public and private sector partners) 
			 North East of England Brussels Office 132 The office is primarily funded by One North East, The Regional Assembly and Local Learning and Skills Council with a number of associate partners making small subscriptions 
			 North West Brussels Office 113 This office is jointly staffed and funded by the NW Regional Assembly and Northwest Regional Development Agency 
			 South West UK Brussels Office 385 This office is a partnership office supported by all first tier local authorities in the South West, the South West RDA, the South West Regional Assembly and HERDA (South West Universities). 
			 Yorkshire Europe 340 Yorkshire Europe is the region's representation in Brussels, providing information and intelligence about Europe for Yorkshire and Humber as well as promoting the region within Europe. Yorkshire Europe is solely funded by Yorkshire Forward

Regional Government: Finance

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the  (a) function and  (b) purpose is of the English Regions Network; and whether the Government plans to change its funding to the network following the Sub-National Review.

John Healey: The function and purpose of the English Regions Network is to represent the collective views of regional assemblies, share best practice and facilitate inter-regional networking and to commission work of mutual interest.
	My Department is considering future funding of the regional assemblies and the English Regions Network following the recent Comprehensive Spending Review settlement for the Department.

Regional Government: Ministers

Theresa May: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether Ministers for  (a) the North East,  (b) the North West,  (c) Yorkshire and the Humber,  (d) London,  (e) the South East,  (f) the South West,  (g) the East Midlands,  (h) the West Midlands and  (i) the East of England have taken decisions relevant to Government policy in relation to their regions

Hazel Blears: Ministers in their Regional Ministers role do not make policy decisions for their regions; they are central Government's advocates in the regions.
	All Regional Ministers consulted with stakeholders on the Government draft legislative programme in September and October. In addition a number wrote to interested parties inviting their views. Among those consulted were representatives from local authorities, business, public institutions, voluntary and community sectors, Members of Parliament and Peers, and environmental groups.
	Regional Ministers have contributed to the development of Government policy across a range of areas, including economic growth and sustainable development, since their establishment in June.
	All Regional Ministers have taken part in a number of high level engagements within their regions, including meetings with local authorities and other organisations, attendance at stakeholder events and visits to local projects and communities.

Regional Planning and Development

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what requirements there are for a local area agreement to be signed off by  (a) the Secretary of State and  (b) the Government Office for the Region; and whether either has a power of veto over a proposed agreement.

John Healey: The statutory requirements for the sign off of local area agreements are to be found at sections 106 and 107 of the Local Government and Public Involvement in Health Act (2007). These provisions require that the responsible local authority must submit the draft LAA to the Secretary of State by the date given in any direction. The Secretary of State may then either approve the draftfrom which point it will have effector the Secretary of State may require that it be modified.
	The Government offices for the regions have no formal role in the submission and sign off process for LAAs, but in practice they will perform an important function during the negotiations. The operational roles for the Secretary of State and Government offices, including those for the sign-off process for the next round of LAAs, were outlined in the operational guidance: Development of the new LAA framework, published on 20 November 2007, a copy of which is on the Communities and Local Government website.

Regional Planning and Development: Finance

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much funding has been provided to each of the regional centres of excellence and regional improvement partnerships.

John Healey: Funding allocations are set out in the following two tables.
	
		
			   million 
			  Regional Centre of Excellence  2004-05  2005-06  2006-07 
			 East of England 1.28 2.02 1.51 
			 East Midlands 1.15 1.60 1.00 
			 London 1.25 2.03 1.08 
			 North East 0.94 1.55 0.81 
			 North West 1.32 1.77 1.14 
			 South East 1.58 2.03 1.36 
			 South West 1.24 1.69 1.07 
			 West Midlands 1.18 1.81 1.02 
			 Yorkshire and Humber 1.06 1.79 0.91 
		
	
	
		
			   million 
			  Improvement Partnership  2005-06  2006-07 
			 East of England 2.25 1.96 
			 East Midlands 0 2.97 
			 London 1.75 3.52 
			 North East 1.00 2.01 
			 North West 2.90 2.88 
			 South East 0 4.05 
			 South West 0 1.92 
			 West Midlands 3.95 1.03 
			 Yorkshire and Humber 1.60 2.92

Regional Planning and Development: Flood Control

Geoffrey Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what consideration has been given to amending  (a) planning statements,  (b) local development frameworks and  (c) regional spatial strategies to prevent houses being built on a flood plain.

Iain Wright: Planning Policy Statement (PPS)25 was published in December 2006 to provide stronger planning policy on development and flood risk. It aims to locate development away from flood risk whenever possible and avoid inappropriate development in areas at risk of flooding. The PPS requires regional planning bodies and local planning authorities to prepare and implement planning strategies in their regional spatial strategies and local development frameworks that reflect the approach to avoiding and managing flood risk set out in PPS25.

Second Homes: Gloucestershire

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many  (a) second homes and  (b) holiday lets in each local authority in Gloucestershire there were in the latest year for which figures are available.

Iain Wright: The following table shows the number of properties designated as second homes in each local authority in Gloucestershire as at October 2006.
	
		
			  Authority  Number 
			 Cheltenham 697 
			 Cotswold 1,302 
			 Forest of Dean 346 
			 Gloucester 128 
			 Stroud 367 
			 Tewkesbury 200 
			   
			 Gloucestershire 3,040 
		
	
	The data are from a snapshot taken each year and are as recorded, in council tax base returns submitted annually, by each local authority for formula grant purposes. The information regarding holiday lets is not held centrally and could be collected only at disproportionate cost.

Sleeping Rough

Stephen Hesford: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what recent estimate she has made of the number of people sleeping rough in England; and what steps her Department is taking to get people off the streets and into secure accommodation.

Iain Wright: The 2007 national rough sleeping estimate shows there are currently 498 people sleeping rough on the streets of England on any one night. This figure represents a 73 per cent. reduction in rough sleeping since 1998.
	Communities and Local Government (CLG) is working closely with local authorities and voluntary sector organisations to tackle all forms of homelessness. Local authorities will receive at least 150 million over the next three years to help them prevent and tackle homelessness, including rough sleeping. This is the biggest ever cash injection for homelessness services.
	The 70 million Places of Change programme announced by my right hon. Friend the Minister for Housing on 13 November is a new round of funding which has been allocated through the recent Comprehensive Spending Review process. This funding will enable the continuation of our work with the 90 million Hostels Capital Improvement Programme (which runs until March 2008) and will build upon its success in helping rough sleepers move away from the streets permanently through the use of training and skills provision and supported accommodation.

Social Rented Housing: Rents

Austin Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what estimate she has made of the difference between actual housing rents charged and notional rents assumed by each local authority in each year since 1990; and what assessment she has made of the areas of expenditure in which any additional income has been spent.

Yvette Cooper: A table showing the difference between actual rents charged and notional rents assumed by local authority between 2004-05 and 2007-08 has been deposited in the Library of the House. Consistent estimates prior to 2004-05 can be obtained only at disproportionate cost. The figures on actual rents charged are based on unaudited information provided by local authorities.
	We do not hold data in a form that would allow us to identify specifically what any additional rental income is spent on by local authorities. However, any extra income will necessarily be spent on the housing revenue account.

Temporary Accommodation

Andrew Stunell: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many households with dependent children are housed in temporary accommodation by their local authority in  (a) England and  (b) each region of England.

Iain Wright: Information reported each quarter by local authorities about their activities under homelessness legislation includes the number of households in temporary accommodation on the last day of the quarter, and of those, the number which contain dependent children and/or an expectant mother. This figure includes those households who have been accepted as owed the main homelessness duty, those for whom inquiries are pending, and those found to be intentionally homeless but who are being accommodated for a reasonable period by the authority.
	The total number of households with dependent children and/or an expectant mother in temporary accommodation is available in our quarterly statistical release on Statutory Homelessness (table 6, for the national figure broken down by type of temporary accommodation). This is published on our website and placed in the Library each quarter. The latest release was published on 10 December 2007 and contains data for the period July to September 2007 at:
	http://www.communities.gov.uk/housing/housingresearch/housingstatistics/housingstatisticsby/homelessnessstatistics/publicationshomelessness/
	Snapshot figures as at 30 September 2007 are shown in the following table, for England, broken down by regions.
	
		
			  Households with dependent children and/or an expectant mother in temporary accommodation under homelessness provisions of the 1996 Housing Act, snapshot as at 30 September 2007 
			   Number 
			 England 62,830 
			   
			 North East 250 
			 North West 1,560 
			 Yorkshire and the Humber 1,190 
			 East Midlands 1,150 
			 West Midlands 1,200 
			 East 3,260 
			 London 45,140 
			 South East 5,500 
			 South West 3,590 
		
	
	At the end of September 2007, 92 per cent. of families with dependent children and/or an expectant mother in temporary accommodation were living in self-contained properties with their own front door.
	In January 2005, the Government set a target of halving the total number of households in all forms of temporary accommodation used by local authorities to discharge their main duty under the homelessness legislation. The number of families with children in temporary accommodation has fallen by 15 per cent. since September 2005.

Thames Gateway

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government with reference to the answer of 29 October 2007,  Official Report, column 662W, on Thames Gateway, what proportion of the planned 160,000 homes will not be built on previously developed land in existing urban areas already protected by flood defences of a high standard.

Yvette Cooper: It is planned that at least 80 per cent. of all new homes built in the Thames Gateway will be built on previously developed land. All new developments must be in line with Planning Policy Statement 25, and be supported where necessary by flood risk assessments to ensure that the development is designed and laid out to reduce the consequences of river and surface water flooding.

Urban Areas: Sustainable Development

Tony Baldry: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what account she will take of eco-town submissions in the approval process for the South East Plan; and if she will make a statement.

Yvette Cooper: The Secretary of State is considering the recommendations contained in the report into the regional spatial strategy (RSS) for the south-east (published on 29 August) and expects to publish any proposed changes to the draft regional spatial strategy for consultation in the new year.

Valuation Office Agency: Consultants

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether there is a  (a) termination date and  (b) option to terminate in the contract between Cole Layer Trumble and Capgemini, in relation to the consultancy services that it provides to assist the ongoing work of the Valuation Office Agency.

John Healey: I refer the hon. Member to the answers I gave him on 22 October 2007,  Official Report, column 74W and to the hon. Member for Beckenham (Mrs. Lait) on 25 July 2007,  Official Report, column 1156W. The Valuation Office Agency has no direct contractual relationship with Cole Layer Trumble (CLT) and therefore has no obligation to use CLT's consultancy services for any defined period.

Waste Management: Hampshire

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what assessment she has made of the ability of waste authorities in Hampshire to meet the requirements of the European Land Directive on waste facilities.

Joan Ruddock: I have been asked to reply.
	I assume the hon. Member is referring to the European Landfill Directive (1999/31/EC) in his question.
	No specific assessment has been made by my Department of the ability of the waste authorities in Hampshire to meet requirements on waste facilities in line with the Landfill Directive. Local authorities have no specific requirements in this respect.
	Article 5(2) of the directive places requirements on the UK to divert biodegradable municipal waste (BMW) from landfill by target years. In England, the Government have introduced the Landfill Allowances Trading Scheme (LATS) to ensure that our share of these targets are met cost-effectively. LATS places an obligation on waste disposal authorities to landfill only BMW for which allowances are held. Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland have similar schemes.
	Article 5(3) of the directive bans the landfilling of certain classes of waste, (for example liquids and most tyres), while article 6 requires that only waste that has undergone treatment (which includes sorting) may be landfilled.
	The remaining provisions of the directive apply principally to the operators of landfill sites and include measures to prevent or reduce potential adverse effects on the environment and risks to human health and for the aftercare and closure of landfill sites. These provisions and others are subject to the need for a permit and are monitored by the Environment Agency, as the regulator for England and Wales.
	DEFRA's Waste Implementation Delivery Programme (WIDP) is maintaining a national overview of existing and planned residual treatment capacity to ensure that resources are applied in the most effective manner.

Yorkshireurope: Expenditure

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much was spent by Yorkshireurope in the last year for which figures are available.

Stephen Timms: I have been asked to reply.
	The following table shows the expenditure of UK Regional European Offices in the last year (2006-07).
	
		
			  UK regional European offices  Expenditure 2006-07 (000)  Notes 
			 West Midlands in Europe Brussels Office 757 The income for this office came from a large number of public and private sector subscribers in the West Midlands region. 
			 East Midlands European Office 335 This is not an overseas office focused only in inward investment, but a regional representation office (with wider partnerships, including local government, universities and other public and private sector partners). 
			 North East of England Brussels Office 132 The office is primarily funded by One North East, The Regional Assembly and Local Learning and Skills Council with a number of associate partners making small subscriptions. 
			 North West Brussels Office 113 This office is jointly staffed and funded by the NW Regional Assembly and Northwest Regional Development Agency. 
			 South West UK Brussels Office 385 This office is a partnership office supported by all first tier local authorities in the South West, the South West RDA, the South West Regional Assembly and HERDA (South West Universities). 
			 Yorkshireurope 340 Yorkshireurope is the region's representation in Brussels, providing information and intelligence about Europe for Yorkshire and Humber as well as promoting the region within Europe. Yorkshireurope is solely funded by Yorkshire Forward.

TRANSPORT

A303

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what plans she has to upgrade and dual stretches of the A303.

Tom Harris: Following the recent decision not to proceed with the A303 Improvements Scheme at Stonehenge, the Department for Transport will shortly be discussing with the South West Region the implications of the decision for the wider strategy for improving the A303/A358 corridor to the M5 at Taunton.

A303

Theresa Villiers: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what her policy is on the improvement of the A303 at Stonehenge; and if she will make a statement.

Tom Harris: Our policy on the improvement to the A303 at Stonehenge was announced in my oral statement to the House on 6 December 2007,  Official Report, column 959.

Aircraft: Noise

Boris Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport 
	(1)  how many people in London live in an area of more than  (a) 50,  (b) 52,  (c) 54,  (d) 56,  (e) 58,  (f) 60,  (g) 62,  (h) 63,  (i) 66,  (j) 69,  (k) 70 and  (l) 72 dBA arising from aircraft noise;
	(2)  what estimate she has made of the number of people in London who would live in an area with more than  (a) 50,  (b) 52,  (c) 54,  (d) 56,  (e) 58,  (f) 60,  (g) 62,  (h) 63,  (i) 66,  (j) 69,  (k) 70 and  (l) 72 dBA as a consequence of aircraft noise under each of the Heathrow runway options in (i) 2015, (ii) 2020 and (iii) 2030.

Jim Fitzpatrick: Annual aircraft noise contours are produced for the Department by the Environmental Research and Consultancy Department (ERCD) of the Civil Aviation Authority. These show noise contours from 57dBA to 72dBA in steps of 3dB and provide information on the population within each contour. The latest report is 'Noise Exposure Contours for Heathrow Airport 2006' (ERCD Report 0701). ERCD have confirmed that, for 2006, the population within the 54dBA contour and above, is 609,700.
	ERCD have also produced a supporting technical report 'Revised Future Aircraft Noise Exposure Estimates for Heathrow Airport', (ERCD Report 0705), as part of our current consultation 'Adding Capacity at Heathrow Airport'. This predicts future populations within the noise contours (including the 54dBA contour level) for various operating and development scenarios in 2015, 2020 and 2030. All these documents are available on the Department's website at:
	www.dft.gov.uk.

Aircraft: Noise

Theresa Villiers: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether she plans to retain the current cap on night flights past 2012.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The current night flights regime was introduced in October 2006 and lasts to 2012. Decisions on the night regime to apply from 2012 will be subject to a future consultation, however, there is not necessarily a relationship between the capacity of Heathrow airport and the number of night flights.

Aircraft: Noise

Theresa Villiers: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether she is considering strengthening the system of fines for exceeding aircraft noise quotas.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The Civil Aviation Act 2006 strengthened airport operators' powers to control noise at airports. These powers enable airports to introduce noise control schemes or impose financial penalties on aircraft operators straying from agreed flight paths or exceeding noise limits on departure. We plan to consult airport consultative committees next year as to the extent to which airports have begun to make use of these new powers and keep this issue under review. A number of airport operators have also introduced noise related charging schemes to encourage the use of quieter aircraft.

Airports: Greater London

Theresa Villiers: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment she has made of Ferrovial's ability to meet the combined cost of new runways at both Stansted and Heathrow.

Jim Fitzpatrick: At acquisition, BAA's new owners Ferrovial Airport Development and Investment Ltd. (ADI) stated their commitment to deliver the airport capacity proposed in the 2003 Future of Air Transport White Paper, and Ferrovial provided us with assurances of their support for the investment programme.

Airports: Security

Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if she will make representations to BAA to ensure that security procedures at London's main airports for passengers going to Belfast are identical to those in place for passengers bound for other airports in the UK.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The aviation security measures in place in the UK apply equally to all airports within the National Aviation Security Programme.

Aviation: Security

Jo Swinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if she will take steps to ensure that flights into the UK are compliant with the same security standards as flights from the UK.

Jim Fitzpatrick: holding answer 11 December 2007
	International civil aviation operates under the principle of host state responsibility, whereby each state is responsible for the security of air services operated from its territory. States are required as a minimum to deliver the security standards laid down by the International Civil Aviation Organisation and, within the European Union, those mandated by EU aviation security legislation. The Department for Transport engages both multilaterally and bilaterally to help reinforce aviation security performance in other countries, including in particular those from which there are flights to the UK.

Bus Services: Concessions

Anthony Steen: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport 
	(1)  if she will ensure that the Government grant to Torbay Unitary Authority covers the authority's costs arising from the nationwide concessionary bus fare scheme, taking into account the anticipated increase in bus usage during the summer months;
	(2)  what the estimated cost to the Torbay Unitary Authority will be of the nationwide concessionary bus fare scheme in 2008-09; what proportion of this will be funded by her Department; and if she will make a statement.

Rosie Winterton: On 6 December the Government announced the provisional allocations for the special grant to fund the costs of the new all-England bus concession commencing in April 2008. The grant allocation distributes 212 million to authorities using a formula based on data about bus patronage, retail floor space, visitors and eligible population.
	Torbay's allocation for 2008-09 is 0.982 million. This represents a significant increase on its existing budget for concessionary travel. We are confident that the total being distributed to local authorities is sufficient in aggregate to cover all the costs of the new concession.
	The special grant funding is only to meet the additional costs of the new concession. Existing funding for concessionary travel will continue to be distributed through the formula grant system (RSG). This is consistent with the wishes of local government to have freedom and flexibility in how they use their funding. Authorities are free to add local enhancements to the statutory minimum concession at their own discretion. However these enhancements must be funded locally.

Bus Services: Tickets

Stephen Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many local authorities she expects to introduce smart cards or smart card technology for concessionary bus travel on 1 April 2008.

Rosie Winterton: From 1 April 2008 all 291 local authorities outside London who are responsible for administering concessionary travel schemes will be required to issue their passes in smartcard format. We are not requiring smart readers to be installed on all buses in England for April. In areas where there are no smart readers, the passes will simply be shown to the bus drivers as they are now.
	The Government are committed to supporting local authorities in delivering the new smartcard pass. We have paid a grant of around 31 million pounds to pay for reasonable new cost burdens associated with issuing passes. We have also put in place a network of mentor authorities to provide additional advice and guidance to transport concessionary authorities (TCAs) and have a dedicated and experienced team within the Department to provide support to TCAs and to monitor their progress.
	In addition we have put in place a framework agreement which TCAs can use to produce their smartcards, though they are free to other ITSO compliant smartcard producers if they wish. We have also put in place a number of other framework agreements offering related services, such as smartcard database management and the provision of equipment to allow TCAs to produce passes in-house.

Buses: Antisocial Behaviour

Theresa Villiers: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what recent discussions she has had with the Home Secretary on tackling anti-social behaviour on buses.

Rosie Winterton: The Secretary of State has had no recent discussions with the Home Secretary on antisocial behaviour on buses, but work is being taken forward by officials. This is an issue we take seriously. My officials liaise with Home Office officials, among other stakeholders, through the Safer Travel on Buses Panel (STOP) which looks to disseminate good practice to the industry and relevant parties on tackling crime and antisocial behaviour in bus travel.

Buses: Antisocial Behaviour

Theresa Villiers: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what discussions she has had with  (a) the Chairman of the Metropolitan Police Authority and  (b) the Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police about anti-social behaviour on buses.

Rosie Winterton: The Secretary of State has not had recent discussions with either the Chairman of the Metropolitan Police Authority or the Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police about antisocial behaviour on buses. My officials liaise with Metropolitan police, Transport for London, and Home Office officials, among other stakeholders, through the Safer Travel on Buses Panel (STOP) which looks to disseminate good practice to the industry and relevant parties on tackling crime and antisocial behaviour in bus travel.

Departmental Computers

David Gauke: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many of her Department's  (a) computers and  (b) laptops have been stolen in 2007; and what the value of those items was.

Jim Fitzpatrick: I refer the hon. Member to the statement made by my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister on 21 November 2007,  Official Report, column 1179. The review by the Cabinet Secretary and security experts is looking at procedures within Departments and agencies for the storage and use of data. A statement on Departments' procedures will be made on completion of the review. An interim progress report on the review was published today by the Cabinet Office through a written ministerial statement. I also refer the hon. Member to the statement of 17 December by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State on measures to improve the security of personal data.

Departmental Correspondence

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many items of post sent by her Department and its predecessors were reported missing by the intended recipient in each year since 1997.

Jim Fitzpatrick: I refer the hon. Member to the statement made by my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister on 21 November 2007,  Official Report, column 1179. The review by the Cabinet Secretary and security experts is looking at procedures within departments and agencies for the storage and use of data. A statement on departments' procedures will be made on completion of the review. An interim progress report on the review was published today by the Cabinet Office through a written ministerial statement. I also refer the hon. Member to the statement of 17 December by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State on measures to improve the security of personal data.

Departmental Data Protection

Cheryl Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what categories of information her Department and its agencies hold on individuals; who has access to that information in each case; and how the individuals concerned can ascertain  (a) by whom and  (b) for what purposes data held on them has been accessed.

Jim Fitzpatrick: holding answer 28 November 2007
	I refer the hon. Member to the statement made by my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister on 21 November,  Official Report, column 1179. The review by the Cabinet Secretary and security experts is looking at procedures within departments and agencies for the storage and use of data. A statement on departments' procedures will be made on completion of the review. An interim progress report on the review was published today by the Cabinet Office through a written ministerial statement. I also refer the hon. Member to the statement of 17 December by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State on measures to improve the security of personal data.

Departmental Data Protection

Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport 
	(1)  what reviews have been undertaken of her Department's rules on data protection in the last two years; if she will place in the Library a copy of the report of the last review of her Department's compliance with data protection laws; and if  (a) her Department and  (b) her Department's agencies will undertake a review of their compliance with data protection laws;
	(2)  on how many occasions in  (a) her Department and  (b) its agencies confidential data have been downloaded on to compact discs (i) without and (ii) with encryption in the last 12 month period for which figures are available; how many of those discs have been posted without using recorded or registered delivery; what procedures her Department has in place for the (A) transport, (B) exchange and (C) delivery of confidential or sensitive data; what records are kept of information held by her Department being sent outside the Department; what changes have been made to her Department's rules and procedures on data protection in the last two years; on how many occasions her Department's procedures and rules on data protection have been breached in the last five years; what those breaches were; what procedures her Department has in place on downloading confidential data on to computer discs before its transfer; what technical protections there are in her Department's computer systems to prevent access to information held on those systems which is not in accordance with departmental procedures; and if she will place in the Library a copy of each of her Department's rules and procedures on the protection of confidential data on individuals, businesses and other organisations;
	(3)  how many employees of each grade in her Department  (a) have access to confidential or sensitive data and  (b) are authorised to download such data to disk; how many of her Department's employees have undergone data protection training in the last 12 months; what the average length of time is that each employee of (i) her Department and (ii) her Department's agencies has spent on data protection training; how many investigations of employees of her Department for improperly accessing confidential information have taken place in the last 12 months; how many such investigations resulted in cases of disciplinary action; and what the circumstances of each of those cases were.

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what procedures are in place in her Department to ensure that personal information relating to members of the public is  (a) stored and  (b) transported securely.

Charles Walker: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether her Department's information technology and data management systems are BS7799 compliant.

Susan Kramer: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport 
	(1)  what mechanisms her Department has in place to ensure that databases containing personal information on members of the general public are not accessed  (a) by unauthorised staff and  (b) by authorised staff for unauthorised purposes;
	(2)  how many requests her Department received in each year since 1997 from the National Audit Office for access to databases containing personal information on members of the general public;
	(3)  how many times databases containing personal information on members of the general public held by her Department were accessed in each month in the last five years;
	(4)  how many staff have access to electronic databases which contain personal information on members of the general public in her Department, broken down by grade;
	(5)  how many security breaches regarding access to personal data there were within her Department in each year since 1997;
	(6)  for how many electronic databases containing  (a) names,  (b) addresses,  (c) bank details and  (d) other personal information of members of the general public her Department is responsible; and in what year each database was set up.

Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether she proposes to review how her Department transports data; and whether her Department uses TNT to transport data.

Nigel Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many confirmed data security breaches there have been in her Department in the last 36 months; and what action was taken after each occurrence.

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps her Department has taken to protect the personal data on members of the public which it holds.

Shailesh Vara: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport 
	(1)  on how many occasions the Information Commissioner was contacted by her Department to report breaches of data protection security in each of the last five years;
	(2)  how many breaches of data protection security there were in  (a) her Department and  (b) her Department's Agencies in each of the last five years; and if she will provide details of each breach.

Jim Fitzpatrick: I refer the right hon. and hon. Members to the statement made by my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister on 21 November 2007,  Official Report, column 1179. The review by the Cabinet Secretary and security experts is looking at procedures within Departments and agencies for the storage and use of data. A statement on Departments' procedures will be made on completion of the review. An interim progress report on the review was published today by the Cabinet Office through a written ministerial statement. I also refer the hon. Members to the statement of 17 December by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State on measures to improve the security of personal data.

Departmental Equality

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much has been spent by her Department  (a) in total and  (b) on staff costs on promoting equality and diversity in each of the last three years for which figures are available; and how many people are employed by her Department for this purpose.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The central Department and its agencies have in place equality and diversity teams to ensure compliance with all equality legislation. These teams actively promote equality and diversity in the development of policy and in the treatment of their staff. However, the work of these teams is only a small part of the Department's diversity related activities.
	Diversity activity is incorporated within all relevant functions of the Department. These activities meet the joint aims of promoting diversity and seeking to eliminate unlawful discriminatory activity. It is not possible to identify a total spend for promotional activity.

Departmental ICT

James Brokenshire: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many attempted hacking or suspected cyber attacks or other malicious computer security breaches were committed against the computer systems of  (a) her Department and  (b) the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency in each of the last three years for which information is available; and if she will make a statement.

Jim Fitzpatrick: It is not in the interests of the UK's national security for Departments to confirm whether they hold information about attacks against their IT systems. This would enable individuals to deduce how successful the UK is in detecting these attacks and so assist such persons in testing the effectiveness of the UK's IT defences.

Departmental Manpower

Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the percentage turnover of staff was in  (a) her Department and  (b) her Department's agencies in (i) the last 12-month period and (ii) the last 24-month period for which figures are available.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The percentage turnover of staff in the Department for Transport during the last two years for which data are available is as follows:
	
		
			  Percentage staff turnover in the DFT 
			   Year ending 31 March: 
			   2006  200 7 
			 Highways Agency 6.1 8.2 
			 Maritime and Coastguard Agency 11.6 10.6 
			 Vehicle and Operator Services Agency 10.0 10.6 
			 Government Car and Despatch Agency 6.0 16.0 
			 Vehicle Certification Agency 12.0 10.0 
			 Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency 20.0 14.0 
			 Department for Transport (Centre) 16.0 14.0 
		
	
	Turnover rates in the Driving Standards Agency (DSA) can be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Departmental Manpower

Theresa May: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many  (a) men and  (b) women of each civil service grade are employed by her Department.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The current staffing figures for the Department are:
	
		
			  Level  Male  Female  Total 
			 SCS level 148 49 197 
			 Grades 6/7 905 297 1202 
			 All other levels 10,125 7,579 17,704 
			 Totals 11,178 7,925 19,103

Departmental Pay

David Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many Departmental employees were paid  (a) over 60,000 and  (b) over 100,000 per annum, inclusive of bonuses, in the most recent financial year for which figures are available.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The number of departmental employees and its agencies earning over 60,000 a year is 337. The number of departmental employees and its agencies earning over 100,000 is 44. These results are from the last financial year.

Departmental Recycling

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what  (a) volume and  (b) percentage of its waste her Department recycled in each of the last five years.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The information requested is in the following table.
	
		
			   Volume recycled (tonnes)  Recycled (percentage) 
			 2002-03 2,077 53.0 
			 2003-04 633 35.0 
			 2004-05 3,123 69.7 
			 2005-06 3,014 70.1 
			 2006-07 2,214 57.1

Departmental Recycling

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much and what proportion of its waste her Department recycled in each of the last five years.

Jim Fitzpatrick: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I have given today (UIN 172419).

Driving Under Influence: Accidents

Susan Kramer: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport 
	(1)  how many road traffic accidents were caused by  (a) drink-driving and  (b) drug-driving in each year since 1997, broken down by police force area;
	(2)  how many road accident fatalities was driving under the influence of drugs recorded as a causal or a contributory factor in each of the last five years.

Jim Fitzpatrick: holding answer 13 December 2007
	 Drink drive estimates are calculated on a national basis. Police force area estimates are not available.
	Information on whether or not drivers involved in accidents failed a drugs test is not available. However information is collected on whether or not impairment by drugs (illicit or medicinal) was a contributory factor. The contributory factors reflect the reporting officer's opinion at the time of reporting and in the case of impairment by drugs (illicit or medicinal) may not necessarily be the result of a drugs test. This information is not available broken down by police force area. This information for Great Britain is shown in the table.
	
		
			  Reported personal injury road accidents in which impairment by drugs (illicit or medicinal) was reported as a contributory factor and the number of resulting fatalities: Great Britain 2005-06 
			   Accidents  Fatalities 
			 2005 673 62 
			 2006 635 64 
		
	
	This information is not available for years prior to 2005.

Driving Under Influence: Accidents

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many serious road injuries and fatalities were related to drink-driving in the  (a) last 12 months and  (b) each of the last five years.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The information requested is available from table 3a of the 'Drinking and driving' article of 'Road Casualties Great Britain: 2006 annual report'. Copies of the report have been deposited in the Libraries of the House. This table can also be found on the Department's website at the following address:
	http://www.dft.gov.uk/172974/173025/221412/221549/227755/285672/Article3DrinkDrivetab1.xls

DVLA: Data Protection

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much was spent by the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency on sending out letters of apology to people whose details have been lost in the most recent period for which figures are available.

Jim Fitzpatrick: This information is not routinely kept.
	In the most recent exercise, on 7 December, letters of apology were despatched to 1,215 customers who had been part of an accuracy survey within which a mistake had been made by DVLA. The cost of this exercise was 405 in postage and 72 in printing and materials.

Fisheries: Death

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many UK fishermen have died at sea in the last 12 months.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The accidental deaths of nine UK fishermen at sea from 1 December 2006 to 30 November 2007 have been reported to the Marine Accident Investigation Branch.

Heathrow Airport

Theresa Villiers: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport 
	(1)  when she expects the  (a) start and  (b) completion of the planning process on a third runway at Heathrow;
	(2)  what flight caps she would expect to place on the use of a third runway at Heathrow in the period up to 2030.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The Government's current consultation on proposals for the future development of Heathrow airport closes on 27 February. If, following the consultation, policy approval is given for a third runway at Heathrow, it would be for the airport operator to take this forward in the planning system. It would not be appropriate for me to comment on the timing or outcome of the planning process.

Heathrow Airport

Theresa Villiers: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport which data contained in the consultation document Adding Capacity at Heathrow were provided by BAA.

Jim Fitzpatrick: As indicated in the 2003 Future of Air Transport White Paper, the Government have worked with BAA and other relevant bodies to examine how local limits on the development of a third runway could be met. The conclusions of this work are presented in the consultation Adding Capacity at Heathrow airport which the Government published on 22 November.
	As well as the main consultation document, there are 14 supporting documents. The airport operator provided one of these relating to analysis of surface access impacts.

Heathrow Airport

Susan Kramer: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many households will receive a paper copy of the Heathrow consultation summary in each borough.

Jim Fitzpatrick: Over 200,000 households around the airport were sent a copy of the Heathrow consultation summary and response form. By local authority area the break down is as follows:
	
		
			   Number 
			 Bracknell Forest 400 
			 Ealing 4,600 
			 Hammersmith and Fulham 22,700 
			 Hillingdon 10,100 
			 Hounslow 71,400 
			 Kensington and Chelsea 300 
			 Richmond upon Thames 36,900 
			 Runnymede 8,000 
			 Slough 17,700 
			 South Bucks 1,900 
			 Spelthorne 3,500 
			 Wandsworth 19,100 
			 Windsor and Maidenhead 20,500

Heathrow Airport: Air Pollution

Theresa Villiers: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps she plans to take to ensure that NOx emissions from an expanded Heathrow airport are below the limits set by EU law.

Jim Fitzpatrick: Our consultation document Adding Capacity at Heathrow Airport sets out our analysis of the local air quality impacts of an expanded airport and indicates how we believe the EU limits could be met. As we say in that document (paragraph 3.186), if any proposals are taken forward to a planning application, it would be for the airport operator to demonstrate that appropriate mechanisms are in place to monitor the situation and regulate activity on the airport in the event of approaching the environmental limits. In the light of legal obligations to meet the air quality limit values, the airport operator, Government and other agencies would need to work together in devising and implementing any necessary mitigation measures.

Heathrow Airport: Carbon Emissions

Boris Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport 
	(1)  what assessment she has made of the likely effect on  (a) emissions of all major pollutants and  (b) noise of (i) the realignment of the M4 spur to the east, (ii) the proposed reconfiguration of local roads and (iii) the A4 passing in a tunnel under the taxiways linking the existing airport to the new runway and terminal as suggested in the consultation on Heathrow expansion;
	(2)  what estimate she has made of the number of people who would experience an increase in  (a) emissions of all major pollutants and  (b) noise due to (i) the realignment of the M4 spur to the east, (ii) the proposed reconfiguration of local roads and (iii) the A4 passing in a tunnel under the taxiways linking the existing airport to the new runway and terminal as suggested in the consultation on Heathrow expansion.

Jim Fitzpatrick: Estimated emissions and noise effects of future development at Heathrow are set out in the consultation 'Adding Capacity at Heathrow Airport' and the supporting technical reports. Emissions effects are attributed to sourcesaircraft, roads and otherand do not separately identify those arising from potential changes in road layouts around the airport. Chapter 7 of the accompanying technical report on 'Surface Access' includes some assessment of noise impacts on surrounding roads under certain options.

Heathrow Airport: Noise

Theresa Villiers: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether she has carried out studies comparing noise insulation schemes at Heathrow with other airports  (a) in the UK and  (b) elsewhere in the world.

Jim Fitzpatrick: No studies have been carried out. However the 'Future of Air Transport' White Paper introduced an improved benchmark for providing insulation at all the larger airports including Heathrow. This means that since 2003 airport operators have been expected to:
	Offer households subject to high levels of noise (69dBALeq or more) assistance with the costs of relocating; and
	Offer acoustic insulation (as applied to residential properties) to other noise-sensitive buildings, such as schools and hospitals, exposed to medium to high levels of noise (63dBA Leq or more).
	In addition, as part of the consultation on the night flying restrictions at Heathrow, Gatwick and Stansted in 2006, the Secretary of State outlined possible criteria for a noise insulation scheme to mitigate for night noise. Following consultation, the Secretary of State decided that the boundary of the scheme should be based on the noise footprint of the noisiest aircraft regularly operating at the airports and the policy should be implemented on a voluntary basis initially.

Heathrow Airport: Noise

Theresa Villiers: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if she will strengthen the obligations on BAA to insulate buildings under Heathrow's flightpaths.

Jim Fitzpatrick: In the White Paper The Future of Air Transport, we asked UK airport operators to consult on details of voluntary schemes to address 'generalised blight', to offer acoustic insulation to noise sensitive buildings such as schools and hospitals that are exposed to medium-to-high levels of aircraft noise, and to offer home relocation assistance to households subject to high levels of aircraft noise.
	BAA has put in place two schemes to mitigate the impacts of blight arising from a proposed third runway at Heathrow, and two schemes to mitigate the impacts of current aircraft noise. The two blight compensation schemes would be triggered at the point BAA decided to apply for planning permission to build a third runway. The two noise compensation schemes are currently active and eligible properties and community buildings have been contacted directly about how the schemes affect them. There are no plans to change these existing voluntary arrangements.
	Early next year BAA will go out to public consultation on airport noise action plans, and as part of this process, they will engage with local communities to seek their views on how the effectiveness of existing noise mitigation and compensation schemes can be improved.

Heathrow Airport: Public Transport

Theresa Villiers: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport 
	(1)  what targets she plans to set for the proportion of people using public transport to travel to and from Heathrow airport;
	(2)  what sanctions she plans to apply should BAA fail to meet targets set for the proportion of people using public transport to travel to and from Heathrow airport;
	(3)  what estimate she has made of the proportion of people travelling to and from Heathrow airport who used public transport to do so in each of the last 10 years.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The Department does not collect annual statistics on the proportion of people accessing Heathrow airport by public transport. However, our recent discussion document Improving the Air Passenger Experience shows that the public transport share of journeys for 1996 and 2006 was around 35 per cent., while the proportion of trips by private car fell from 38 per cent. to 34 per cent. over the period. The same document goes on to describe improvements planned or under consideration, including Crossrail, the AirTrack scheme and enhancements to the Piccadilly line services.

Heathrow Airport: Roads

Theresa Villiers: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport 
	(1)  what decision she has made on road demand management measures  (a) on the M4 and M25 in relation to Heathrow access and  (b) in relation to local roads around Heathrow;
	(2)  whether she has plans to implement congestion charging along road access routes to Heathrow.

Jim Fitzpatrick: Our consultation Adding Capacity at Heathrow Airport and the supporting Surface Access technical report describe a range of possible demand management measures, including congestion charging, which were examined in the course of assessing the options for further Heathrow development. No such measures are thought necessary in order to ensure that local air quality limits are met in the vicinity of an expanded airport, if, after consultation, policy approval for airport expansion is confirmed, it would be for the airport operator, as part of a comprehensive transport assessment, to work with the Highways Agency and local authorities to identify the extent of any action to be taken.

Heathrow Airport: Trade Unions

Justine Greening: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what meetings her Department has had with trade unions in the past three years in relation to expansion of Heathrow, broken down by  (a) trade union and  (b) date of meeting; and if she will make a statement.

Jim Fitzpatrick: holding answer 11 December 2007
	Ministers and DfT officials have had a number of meetings with unionson an individual basis or as part of a wider groupin the last three years to discuss a range of issues. I met TUC, T and G, GMB, Amicus, Balpa and Unite on the 22 November 2007 as part of a series of stakeholder briefings that day to launch the Heathrow consultation.

Heavy Goods Vehicles

Helen Southworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment she has made of the safety of longer heavier vehicles (LHVs) on  (a) motorways and  (b) other roads in relation to road traffic incidents involving other road users; and what assessment she has made of the effect on safety of left-hand drive LHVs using British roads.

Jim Fitzpatrick: holding answer 29 November 2007
	The safety of such vehicles is currently being assessed in a study commissioned in December 2005 by the then Minister of State for Transport, the hon. Member for South Thanet (Dr. Ladyman). The study is due to report shortly, but the Secretary of State has previously made clear that it would take a great deal of persuasion for the Government to allow longer, heavier vehicles in the UK.

Highways Agency

Gwyneth Dunwoody: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment she has made of the compliance of Highways Agency traffic officers with regulations on working time.

Tom Harris: To date, a centralised method has not been available to monitor the compliance of Highways Agency traffic officers with working time regulations. However, the agency recognises the need to implement a method of assessment which facilitates both local and central monitoring.
	As it moves towards implementation of Shared Services with Department for Transport and its other agencies, it is exploring in more detail how an electronic solution might best assist in the management and monitoring of working time. To that end, the agency is to implement a standard timesheet across the Traffic Officer Service by February 2008. By implementing the new timesheet the agency will be able to monitor working time in more detail.

Highways Agency

Gwyneth Dunwoody: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what pay comparability studies have been undertaken in respect of traffic officers in the Highways Agency; and what the results have been.

Tom Harris: In late 2005 the Highways Agency (HA) undertook a pay comparability review of the Traffic Officer Service roles.
	The results of the review were largely inconclusive in that, at the time, the roles within the HA were relatively new and many regions were still developing towards full service. As such, it was difficult to identify valid external comparators.
	As a result, the HA has recently commissioned a benchmark review against Traffic Officer Service roles, as part of an overall review of reward across the agency.
	The results of this work will inform the reward strategy we aim to develop for the period 2008 to 2011.

Highways Agency

Gwyneth Dunwoody: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what plans she has for terms and conditions for new Highways Agency traffic officers.

Tom Harris: Terms and conditions of employment for Traffic Officers have been subject to on-going development in full consultation with the trade unions since the implementation of the service in 2004.
	A dedicated team continues to work closely with the trade unions to ensure terms and conditions of employment remain compliant with best practice.
	A comprehensive review of all terms and conditions of employment is in progress and scheduled to conclude in autumn 2008.

Highways Agency

Gwyneth Dunwoody: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what representations the Prospect Union made on behalf of its traffic officer members in this year's pay talks; and what the Highways Agency's response was to each such representation.

Tom Harris: Representations by Prospect at this year's pay talks have focused on their aim to achieve an award for their members that at least matches RPI inflation, the level of shift allowances, the methodology used to determine pay levels at the inception of the Traffic Officer Service and the pay differential between control room operators (mainly represented by the PCS Union) and on-road Traffic Officers, represented by Prospect.
	The Highways Agency has responded that is it obliged to comply with Government policy on civil service pay and has to work within the pay remit approved by HM Treasury. It believes the offer for Prospect members in the Traffic Officer Service is the best that can be achieved within that policy and the approved remit. Higher shift allowances are not achievable except at the expense of the pay award for other Highways Agency employees. The Agency is undertaking a strategic review of its reward package and aims to review the pay and allowances for Traffic Officers as part of that work.

Highways Agency

Gwyneth Dunwoody: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the average overtime in hours worked per month per Highways Agency traffic officer was in the last 12 months.

Tom Harris: In the last 12 months a total of 48,289 hours overtime has been worked by 1,011 control room operators and on-road Traffic Officers. This equates to around four hours per person per month.

Highways Agency

Gwyneth Dunwoody: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the health and safety arrangements are in respect of traffic officers within the Highways Agency; and what recent assessment she has made of the effectiveness of those arrangements.

Tom Harris: The design of the Health and Safety arrangements in respect of Traffic Officers is compliant with the requirements of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974, its subordinate legislation, guidance and codes of practice, and the Highways Agency's own Health and Safety Policy. The Traffic Operations Director has recently written to senior managers in the Traffic Officer Service to remind them of their responsibilities in relation to health and safety.
	Assessment of adherence is maintained through an internal audit programme which reports to Agency Senior Management.

Highways Agency

Gwyneth Dunwoody: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the average pay increase given to traffic officers in the Highways Agency in each annual pay round since the formation of their grade was; and what the retail price index inflation rate at the end of those pay years was.

Tom Harris: The information requested is given in the following table for Traffic Officers within the control room (TM1A) and on road Traffic Officers (TM1B):
	
		
			   Percentage  RPI 
			  As at August each year  TM1 A  TM1 B  Month/year  Percentage 
			 2004 4.5 4.9 July 2005 2.9 
			 2005 3 3 July 2006 3.3 
			 2006 3 3 July 2007 3.8

Highways Agency

Gwyneth Dunwoody: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the turnover rate of traffic officers in the Highways Agency in each year since the grade was established.

Tom Harris: The information requested for all traffic officer service posts is given in the table as follows:
	
		
			  Grade  Staff in post  Leavers  Turnover rate 
			  2004
			 TM1 ATraffic Officer Control Room 21 10 47.62 
			 TM1 BTraffic Officer On Road 80 14 17.50 
			 TM2Team Manager 21 0 0.00 
			 TM3Network Operation Manager 6 0 0.00 
			 8NOperation Manager 0 0 n/a 
			 
			  2005
			 TM1A 147 17 11.56 
			 TM1B 515 28 5.44 
			 TM2 161 4 2.48 
			 TM3 28 0 0.00 
			 8N 8 0 0.00 
			 
			  2006
			 TM1A 231 31 13.42 
			 TM1B 925 52 5.62 
			 TM2 215 9 4.19 
			 TM3 34 2 5.88 
			 8N 7 0 0.00 
			 
			  2007
			 TM1A 313 59 18.85 
			 TM1B 927 71 7.66 
			 TM2 220 8 3.64 
			 TM3 35 1 2.86 
			 8N 8 2 25.00

Highways Agency

Gwyneth Dunwoody: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether traffic officers within the Highways Agency are asked to give reasons as to why they leave Crown employment.

Tom Harris: Exit interviews are undertaken for all staff who leave the Agency, including those working in the Traffic Officer Service. These are completed by line managers in a standard format and are submitted to Human Resource Customer Services Division, who check to see if there is any action to be taken on an individual case-by-case basis before filing the form on the individual's file.

Highways Agency

Gwyneth Dunwoody: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the pay  (a) minimum and  (b) maximum for the Highway Agency's traffic officers was in each pay year since that grade was established; and what range is proposed for traffic officers in the 2007 pay round.

Tom Harris: The minimum and maximum for the relevant years are shown in the table. TM1A staff are control room operators and TM1B staff are on-road Traffic Officers. These rates do not include shift allowances, which are paid at 12.5 per cent. or 20 per cent. according to shift pattern.
	
		
			   Grade  Minimum  Maximum 
			 2003-04 TM1A 14,000 16,842 
			  TM1B 15,800 20,000 
			 2004-05 TM1A 14,280 16,842 
			  TM1B 16,171 20,000 
			 2005-06 TM1A 15,079 17,928 
			  TM1B 16,659 20,302 
			 2006-07 TM1A 15,923 18,466 
			  TM1B 17,162 20,912 
			 2007-08 (Proposed) TM1A 16,719 18,466 
			  TM1B 17,248 20,912

HM Coastguard: Scotland

Michael Moore: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport for how many hours the east coast of Scotland was without HM Coastguard search and rescue helicopter support in 2007; and if she will make a statement.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The Maritime and Coastguard Agency is not aware of any instances when Coastguard Search and Rescue Helicopter support was unavailable on the east coast of Scotland during 2007.

HM Coastguard: Scotland

Michael Moore: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many search and rescue helicopters are available to HM Coastguard in Scotland; how many such helicopters would be needed to provide full-time helicopter cover for coastguard services in Scotland; and if she will make a statement.

Jim Fitzpatrick: There are currently a total of eight search and rescue helicopters available to HM Coastguard in Scotland providing full-time coverage for maritime search and rescue.

Milton Keynes Central Station: Repairs and Maintenance

Mark Lancaster: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment she has made of the likely effects work being undertaken at Milton Keynes Central train station will have on Milton Keynes commuters when the work is completed.

Tom Harris: The enlarged Milton Keynes Central station was justified on the basis that the town could be served by an increased frequency of inter city trains linking Milton Keynes with the north and that the commuter services would be able to operate more resiliency on the slow lines. It is also making provision for a possible new service towards Bedford or Oxford. It was not practicable, because of intense line and train occupation to change the decision in the 2003 Strategy for the route to provide new capacity so that peak hour commuter traffic, between Milton Keynes and London, will be handled by the Silverlink (now London Midland) services.

Motor Vehicles: Testing

Roger Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment she has made of proposals to move frequency of MOT testing for road vehicles to the EU minimum frequency.

Jim Fitzpatrick: We have made an initial assessment which will be issued for consultation in the new year.

Motorway Service Areas: Competition

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what plans she has to introduce more competition into the operation of motorway service areas.

Tom Harris: The Highways Agency has recently carried out a public consultation on a proposed new policy for roadside facilities in England.
	The proposed policy would allow the private sector, which is responsible for providing services, to bring forward proposals for motorway rest areas as an alternative to the standard motorway service area. A rest area would have some but not all of the facilities normally provided at a service area.
	The revised policy should encourage the private sector to think of innovative ways to improve services and increase competition.
	Responses to the consultation are now being considered before the new policy is published next year.

Motorways: Accidents

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what estimate she has made of the cost to the public purse of motorway accidents in 2006.

Tom Harris: The exchequer cost of motorway accidents in Great Britain 2006 is estimated to be 23.9 million in 2006 prices. This estimate is based on the number of injury and non-injury motorway accidents in 2006 and the accident prevention unit values that are used in transport appraisals.
	In 2006 there were 164 fatal accidents, 789 serious accidents and 7,426 slight accidents reported on motorways in Great Britain. In addition, there were an estimated 63,680 damage-only accidents on motorways. The exchequer costs include medical, ambulance and police costs.
	The accident prevention values are taken from the Department's 'Highways Economic Note No. 1 (HEN1) 2005 Valuation of the Benefits of Prevention of Road Accidents and Casualties' and have been uprated for 2006.
	Using the accident values in HEN1, the total cost to society of all motorway accidents in Great Britain in 2006 is estimated to have been 815 million (2006 prices). In addition to the Exchequer costs, this figure also includes estimates of the human costs, based on values that people are willing to pay to reduce pain, grief and suffering, the administrative costs of insurance, damage to vehicles and property and the value of lost output, including non-wage payments.

National Identity Register

Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what plans her Department has to make use of data on the National Identity Register when it is established; and what the estimated cost to her Department of that use is.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The only part of the Department that has plans to use the National Identity Register (NIR), when established, is the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA).
	DVLA has been working for some time with Home Office and Immigration and Passport Service (IPS) to ensure that the new Driver Register system it is currently developing can make best use of the National Identity Register (NIR) when this is established. The new DVLA systems already interact with IPS Passport systems and as the NIR is established the intention would be for DVLA to rely more on the ID verification provided by the new register and avoid the duplication in activities that currently have to take place as DVLA are required to carry out their own verification. This has been reported publicly in the ID scheme business case as the major benefit expected for DVLA. Having designed its new systems with this in mind, changing the interaction from IPS systems into the newer and more robust systems expected for NIR would have only marginal cost for DVLA.

Passports: Lost Property

Stewart Hosie: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many passports sent to the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority (DVLA) were subsequently reported missing in the last 12 months; and how many owners of passports lost by the DVLA have claimed compensation.

Jim Fitzpatrick: DVLA does not hold information on the number of passports sent but not subsequently received at the agency. In the past year DVLA has paid compensation for the replacement of 217 passports where there have been claims that the agency has lost them and 756 where the Royal Mail has accepted responsibility for their loss. DVLA handles and returns more than 1.5 million identity documents belonging to its customers each year.

Railways

Stephen Hesford: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what discussions she has had with  (a) her officials and  (b) business representatives on the construction of further high-speed rail lines in the UK.

Tom Harris: The Secretary of State has regular discussions with officials on all aspects of rail policy, including high-speed lines, in the normal course of business. The Secretary of State also has regular discussions with business representatives to discuss a range of transport issues.

Railways: Electrification

Theresa Villiers: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what estimate she has made of the likely effect on carbon dioxide emissions of the full electrification of  (a) the Great Western railway line and  (b) the Midland mainline; and what estimate she has made of the cost of each.

Tom Harris: The Railway Safety and Standards Board has published a report which considers the impact of future electrification. The report sets out the discounted costs and the 60 year value of carbon reduction in monetised form related to a number of options for electrification of the Great Western and Midland main lines. The costs are for the construction of the Electrification Infrastructure, excluding the cost of new rolling stock.
	
		
			   million 
			  Line  Carbon benefit  Cost of electrification 
			 Great Western mainline 66 649 
			 Midland mainline 38 301

Railways: Electrification

Theresa Villiers: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what estimate she has made of the likely effect on reliability of the full electrification of  (a) the Great Western railway line and  (b) the Midlands Mainline.

Tom Harris: The Railway Safety and Standards Board has published a report which considers the impact of future electrification. The expected effect on reliability of inter-city routes such as Great Western and Midlands Main line is broadly neutral. The enhanced reliability of electric trains compared with diesels is offset by dependence on the integrity of the catenary system which distributes electricity to the trains.

Railways: Fares

Theresa Villiers: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport 
	(1)  if she will make a statement about rises in rail fares;
	(2)  what discussions her officials have had with train operating companies on the effect on fares of increases in franchise premia payments.

Tom Harris: The Department has had no discussions with train operating companies on the effect on fares of increases in franchise premia payments.
	The Government protect commuters by limiting most operators to average increases in regulated fares of no more than 1 per cent. above inflation each year over the life of the franchise. Most saver return tickets (long distance, off-peak fares) are also regulated at the same levels. We have pledged to keep this cap in place for at least the next seven years.
	More than half of rail journeys are made on a regulated ticket, and around 80 per cent. of passengers buy either a regulated or discounted ticket. Regulated fares are no higher now in real terms than they were at privatisation.
	Unregulated fares are a matter for the train operators, but increases are kept under review by Government.
	The Department continues to listen to the representations of train users and has invited Passenger Focus to take a greater role in commenting on the specification of future franchises.

Railways: Northern Region

John Pugh: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what discussions have taken place with Northern franchise in 2007 on new rolling stock on lines out of Manchester.

Tom Harris: The Department has held various discussions with Northern Rail during 2007 about the provision of rolling stock new to the franchise. These discussions have centred, firstly, around the procurement by Northern Rail of additional class 158 rolling stock, replacing a number of class 142 units and, secondly, around the publication of the High Level Output Specification and provision of new rolling stock in the period between 2009 and 2014.
	In the first instance, deployment of additional rolling stock procured commercially by Northern Rail is a matter for the company and no specific discussions have been held regarding services on lines out of Manchester. In the second instance, discussions have been held at a high level and no decisions have yet been made on deployment of new vehicles between 2009 and 2014.

Railways: Portsmouth

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the evidential basis is of the stated need to increase the capacity on the Portsmouth mainline and use high density suburban rolling stock; and if she will make a statement.

Tom Harris: Network Rail has undertaken a route utilisation strategy for the South West Main Line (March 2006), and this confirmed that there was no capacity for running additional trains in the morning peak period of 07.30 to 09.30.
	Stagecoach South Western has therefore addressed the need to accommodate passenger demand within the infrastructure available. While recognising that this may not be met with universal approval, the fact that a 12-car Class 450 (blue) train can offer an additional 140 seats compared to a 10-car Class 444 (white) train should mean that fewer passengers need to stand on the Portsmouth line trains particularly for stations closer to London.

Railways: South East Region

Adam Holloway: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment she has made of the likely effect on rates of passenger car usage in the region served by the South Eastern rail franchise in 2008 as a result of recent changes to fares under the franchise.

Tom Harris: An assessment was made prior to the re-letting of the South Eastern franchise. This incorporated value for money testing of each franchise specification option, which included the proposal for inflation plus 3 per cent. on regulated fares. This proposal showed passenger growth in excess of that forecast for the country as a whole in the present White Paper and these estimates formed the basis of what was contractualised in the South Eastern franchise.
	So far, South Eastern passenger journeys have increased by 5 per cent. in 2007, the first year of the RPI+3 regime for regulated fares.
	The Department continues to listen to the representations of train operators and has invited Passenger Focus to take a greater role in commenting on the specification of future franchises.

Roads: Accidents

Nigel Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many road accidents which caused  (a) injury and  (b) death there were on roads in (i) Ribble Valley and (ii) Lancashire in each of the last five years, broken down by age and sex of the victims.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The number of reported personal injury road accidents which caused  (a) injury (serious or slight) and  (b) death in (i) Ribble Valley and (ii) Lancashire in each of the last five years, broken down by age and gender of the casualty is shown in the tables.
	
		
			  Ribble Valley( 1) 
			  Number of accidents 
			2002  2003  2004  2005  2006 
			  Gender  Age  Injury  Fatal  Injury  Fatal  Injury  Fatal  Injury  Fatal  Injury  Fatal 
			 Male Under 17 32 2 27 1 38 0 39 0 37 2 
			  17-19 34 2 30 1 41 1 32 1 41 0 
			  20-24 39 2 34 4 28 2 45 4 45 1 
			  25-29 26 1 29 3 24 2 29 0 30 2 
			  30-34 30 2 28 1 28 0 32 2 22 1 
			  35-39 23 0 29 1 27 0 25 1 28 2 
			  40-49 39 1 43 0 38 0 45 2 41 1 
			  50-59 29 0 22 0 33 0 39 1 28 0 
			  60-69 19 0 15 0 23 1 13 0 14 2 
			  70+ 16 3 10 2 11 0 20 2 15 1 
			  Total(2) 241 7 236 7 248 2 272 11 242 6 
			 
			 Female Under 17 30 0 23 1 28 0 30 0 21 0 
			  17-19 31 2 23 0 15 0 22 0 24 3 
			  20-24 19 1 28 0 29 0 26 0 29 1 
			  25-29 23 1 14 0 18 0 17 0 27 1 
			  30-34 20 0 24 0 31 0 19 0 20 0 
			  35-39 13 1 21 0 18 0 27 0 31 0 
			  40-49 38 0 30 0 33 0 28 1 35 0 
			  50-59 28 0 21 0 22 0 27 0 12 0 
			  60-69 15 0 22 0 16 0 13 1 13 0 
			  70+ 16 2 15 2 18 1 12 1 14 0 
			  Total(2) 202 4 187 3 187 1 185 3 192 3 
		
	
	
		
			  Lancashire( 3) 
			  Number of accidents 
			2002  2003  2004  2005  2006 
			  Gender  Age  Injury  Fatal  Injury  Fatal  Injury  Fatal  Injury  Fatal  Injury  Fatal 
			 Male Under 17 712 6 689 11 661 7 667 5 619 8 
			  17-19 434 8 432 13 461 8 450 7 490 8 
			  20-24 518 14 473 16 499 11 538 15 540 17 
			  25-29 449 13 332 14 371 7 396 8 380 5 
			  30-34 436 7 366 9 405 7 385 10 362 9 
			  35-39 394 9 373 6 398 6 373 10 407 8 
			  40-49 548 6 514 10 578 9 565 15 589 8 
			  50-59 358 3 346 6 383 10 367 10 363 6 
			  60-69 185 3 192 5 202 2 192 6 177 8 
			  70+ 192 12 153 13 158 6 184 13 171 7 
			  Total(2) 3,692 52 3,408 69 3,597 46 3,553 75 3,472 56 
			 
			 Female Under 17 502 1 414 7 461 3 450 3 418 5 
			  17-19 296 6 255 6 272 3 296 1 304 6 
			  20-24 399 3 370 3 390 2 380 2 422 2 
			  25-29 346 3 284 3 293 2 336 3 312 1 
			  30-34 362 1 311 1 307 1 276 3 267 1 
			  35-39 311 2 267 4 232 0 322 0 305 1 
			  40-49 442 1 411 3 449 3 467 7 442 6 
			  50-59 344 1 303 7 287 3 327 4 294 2 
			  60-69 195 3 193 4 163 2 178 2 178 5 
			  70+ 198 12 201 11 183 3 185 9 196 3 
			  Total(2) 2,877 25 2,572 33 2,621 21 2,714 30 2,679 25 
			 (1) Ribble Valley constituency, based on 2004 parliamentary constituency boundaries. (2) May be less than the sum of the age bands as an accident may involve casualties from more than one age band. Also includes cases where age is missing. (3) Includes Lancashire county council, Blackburn and Blackpool.

Roads: Accidents

Nigel Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps her Department has taken in the last 10 years to reduce road casualties.

Jim Fitzpatrick: In 2000, we published 'Tomorrow's Roads: Safer for Everyone', our road safety strategy to 2010. This contained a wealth of actions to educate road users, improve the road environment and enforce road safety offences. The strategy also contained a commitment to achieve by 2010:
	a 40 per cent. reduction in the number of people killed or seriously injured in road accidents;
	a 50 per cent. reduction in the number of children killed or seriously injured; and
	a 10 per cent. reduction in the slight casualty rate.
	A review of the strategy earlier this year found that, while there was a need to improve further in a number of respects, progress against the targets was good:
	the number of people killed or seriously injured was 33 per cent. down;
	the number of children killed or seriously injured was 52 per cent. down; and
	the slight casualty rate was 28 per cent. down.
	We expect to consult next year on a strategy for the period from 2010.

Roads: Accidents

Nigel Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many road accidents there were which resulted in  (a) injury and  (b) death on the (i) A59 and (ii) M6 within the borders of Lancashire County Council area in each of the last 10 years; and what the ratio of these figures was to total traffic volume in each year.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The information requested is given in the tables.
	
		
			  Reported personal injury road accidents which resulted in injury (serious or slight) or death on the A59 and M6 in Lancashire county council, 1997 to 2006 
			  Number of accidents 
			   A59  M6 
			   Non-fatal injury accidents  Fatal accidents  Non-fatal injury accidents  Fatal accidents 
			 1997 185 7 245 4 
			 1998 163 3 214 6 
			 1999 181 4 197 5 
			 2000 170 2 165 3 
			 2001 185 3 139 4 
			 2002 168 2 165 1 
			 2003 134 0 155 5 
			 2004 162 2 194 3 
			 2005 182 7 145 7 
			 2006 159 5 154 2 
		
	
	
		
			  Reported personal injury road accidents per 100 million vehicle kilometres which resulted in injury (serious or slight) and death on the A59 or M6 in Lancashire county council, 1997 to 2006 
			  Number of accidents per 100 million vehicle kilometres 
			   A59  M6 
			   Non-fatal injury accidents  Fatal accidents  Non-fatal injury accidents  Fatal accidents 
			 1997 41.29 1.56 14.55 0.24 
			 1998 36.12 0.66 12.09 0.34 
			 1999 39.81 0.88 10.23 0.26 
			 2000 39.32 0.46 9.30 0.17 
			 2001 42.01 0.68 7.67 0.22 
			 2002 39.15 0.47 8.59 0.05 
			 2003 30.02 0.00 8.29 0.27 
			 2004 34.90 0.43 9.47 0.15 
			 2005 39.02 1.50 7.08 0.34 
			 2006 33.76 1.06 7.44 0.10

Roads: Repairs and Maintenance

Theresa Villiers: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many road projects were  (a) listed,  (b) completed on time and  (c) completed on budget in each of the last five Highways Agency business plans.

Tom Harris: The number of road projects  (a) listed,  (b) completed on time and  (c) completed on budget in each of the last five Highways Agency Business Plans is listed in the following table. This information was previously supplied to the NAO and was used in their report on Estimating and monitoring the costs of building roads in England published in March 2007.
	
		
			   2002-03  2003-04  2004-05  2005-06  2006-07 
			  (a) Number of projects listed in the business plan 57 68 91 89 79 
			 Number of projects planned to complete in year of business plan 6 9 7 6 10 
			  (b) Number of projects completed on time 6 8 7 6 10 
			  (c) Number of projects completed within ministerially approved budgets 0 3 3 2 3 
			 Number of projects completed within ministerially approved budgets +5 per cent. 0 6 4 2 4 
			 Number of projects completed within ministerially approved budgets +10 per cent. 0 7 4 2 5

Roads: Tolls

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps she will take to monitor and incentivise local authorities' compliance with the Disability Equality Duty when they develop and implement road user charging schemes.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The Department has published guidance that reminds local authorities of legislation to be taken into account when preparing road pricing schemes. This includes the Disability Discrimination Act 1995 and the Disability Discrimination Act 2005. The Equality and Human Rights Commission has responsibility for enforcing the Disability Equality Duty and they can take legal action against public sector organisations that have not done as they are required.

Roads: Weymouth

Theresa Villiers: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the Government's plans are for the proposed Weymouth relief road; and if she will make a statement.

Rosie Winterton: Dorset county council recently informed the Department that there has been an increase in the cost of the scheme. As a result, it will be necessary to undertake a re-appraisal of the scheme at the higher cost against the Department's value for money criteria. The council is now in the process of preparing an updated business case.

Rolling Stock

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the acceptable tolerances are for  (a) the seat back angle and  (b) amount of legroom of a railway carriage seat; and what the figures for each are for a seat on a Desiro 450 carriage.

Tom Harris: There is no specified acceptable tolerances for seat back angle or amount of legroom.
	The Department does not hold the specific measurements for different rolling stock.
	The seats on a Desiro 450 meet ATOC vehicle standard for vehicle interior crashworthiness (AV/ST 9001).

Severn Bridge: Tolls

Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport pursuant to the answer of 29 November 2007,  Official Report, column 605W, on Severn Bridge: Tolls, what the total revenue was from tolls on the Severn Bridges in each year since 1992.

Rosie Winterton: The total revenue received from the Severn Bridges tolls, net of value added tax (VAT), is set out in the following table.
	
		
			million 
			 1992(1) (1)21.991 
			 1993 34.366 
			 1994 39.197 
			 1995 43.774 
			 1996 47.155 
			 1997 51.112 
			 1998 55.241 
			 1999 59.832 
			 2000 60.996 
			 2001 66.514 
			 2002 70.544 
			 2003 64.413 
			 2004 66.371 
			 2005 69.499 
			 2006 72.008 
			 (1 )The amount for 1992 is from the commencement of the Severn Bridges Concession on 26 April 1992. 
		
	
	VAT was applied to the Severn Bridges tolls from the 1 February 2003.
	The figure for 2007 is not yet available.

South West Trains: Rolling Stock

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport pursuant to the answer of 3 December 2007,  Official Report, column 857W, on ports, if she will place in the Library a full copy of the ergonomic study on the Desiro Class 450s rolling stock.

Tom Harris: South West Trains commissioned an independent ergonomic assessment of the seating design and layout of the Class 450 units.
	The report findings are available on the South West Trains website.

South West Trains: Rolling Stock

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport pursuant to the answer of 11 December 2007,  Official Report, column 431W, who  (a) commissioned and  (b) financed the ergonomic study; whether (i) her Department and (ii) passengers were consulted as part of the study; and if she will make a statement.

Tom Harris: The ergonomic report was commissioned and financed by South West Trains in response to customer feedback with regard to Class 450 seating.
	The Department and Passenger Focus were advised that the study was going to be undertaken.
	South West Trains advise that no passengers were consulted as part of the ergonomic study.

Stansted Airport

Harry Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the Government's policy is on the proposed development of Stansted airport.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The 2003 Future of Air Transport White Paper supported two new runways in the south east by 2030, the first at Stansted. The Government's current consultation Adding Capacity at Heathrow Airport is consistent with that policy. The operator of Stansted airport expects to be in a position to submit a planning application around the turn of the year.

Sustainable Operations

John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether her Department met the target in the Sustainable Operations on the Government Estate document to reverse the then upward trend in carbon emissions by April 2007.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The Department for Transport reduced its actual energy consumption in 2006-07 by 2,240,528 kWh. However, after the application of the weather correction factor the Department is showing an increase of 1.87 per cent. in terms of carbon emissions.

Taxis: Disabled

Jeremy Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when she intends to issue guidance on the accessibility of taxis for disabled people.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The Government recognise the vital role that taxis play in the transportation of disabled people and we are committed to delivering more accessible taxis. We need to choose the best way in which to deliver an increased number of taxis that are accessible to people with all types of disability.
	Under the Disability Discrimination Act 1995, the Government have powers to regulate in this area. There are, however, advantages and disadvantages associated with regulation and, in light of the Government's better regulation agenda, we are currently re-evaluating all the options, both regulatory and non-regulatory. We will announce our proposals shortly.
	In the meantime, we are encouraging taxi licensing authorities to ensure that local policies take account of the needs of all taxi users. The Department issued best practice guidance to local authorities in 2006. Part 3 of the Disability Discrimination Act also now applies to both hackney cabs and private hire vehicles and it gives disabled people a right of access to goods, services and facilities.
	Taxi drivers now have to take reasonable steps to ensure that disabled people are able to use their vehicles, but they do not have to modify the vehicle itself. The Disability Rights Commission (now superseded by the Equality and Human Rights Commission) issued guidance in 2007 on what may be considered reasonable in relation to disabled people and access to taxis.

Taxis: Exhaust Emissions

Robert Goodwill: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment she has made of the durability in service of emission control systems retro-fitted to London licensed Hackney Carriages.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The Energy Saving Trust (EST) carried out durability trials on behalf of the Department for Transport in 2005 and 2006 for taxis retro-fitted with emissions abatement systems. The taxis were subject to a 10,000 mile durability trial followed by a final emissions test. The results of the trial will be made available in the House of Commons Library shortly.
	Currently companies can apply to EST to carry out emissions testing on their behalf which are then passed to the Public Carriage Office for approval of the systems. To date 17 such durability trials have taken place.

Trains: Standards

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport pursuant to the answer of 3 December 2007,  Official Report, column 856W, on trains: standards, what opportunities her Department has given passengers on Desiro Class 450 trains to submit their views on the level of comfort afforded by such rolling stock.

Tom Harris: Stagecoach South Western has carried out an ergonomic study in response to questions and feedback from a number of customers who remain discontent with the comfort of the new Class 450 rolling stock. The findings of this report have been independently reviewed by Passenger Focus, the passenger representation body and have been made public by SSWT on their website.

Transport for London

Boris Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the gross  (a) assets and  (b) liabilities of Transport for London are; and what they were before Metronet entered into administration.

Rosie Winterton: TfL's audited accounts, including its balance sheet, can be found on the TfL website. TfL provide quarterly financial and operational updates, which can also be found on their website.

Transport for London

Boris Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what Transport for London's liabilities net of assets are; what they are expected to be in each year to 2015; and how much of the liability in each year is expected to arise from the administration of Metronet.

Rosie Winterton: TfL's audited accounts, including its balance sheet, can be found on the TfL website. TfL provide quarterly financial and operational updates, which can also be found on their website.
	Future estimates of net liabilities or liabilities associated with Metronet are currently unknown.

HEALTH

Ambulance Services: Lancashire

Nigel Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what the  (a) maximum,  (b) minimum and  (c) average response time by ambulance crews to emergency call-outs in (i) Ribble Valley constituency and (ii) Lancashire was in each of the last 60 months;
	(2)  what his Department's plans are for the future  (a) numbers and  (b) mix of (i) solo responder (ii) double crew and (iii) other ambulance crews in the North West Strategic Health Authority area;
	(3)  how many ambulance crews have been operated by ambulance trusts within the North West Strategic Health Authority area in each of the last 10 years;
	(4)  what the cost was of providing  (a) solo responder,  (b) double crew and  (c) other ambulance services in each of the ambulance trusts within the North West Strategic Health Authority area in each of the last 10 years;
	(5)  how many  (a) solo responder,  (b) double crew and  (c) other ambulance services have been operated by ambulance trusts within the North West Strategic Health Authority area in each of the last 10 years.

Ben Bradshaw: The information is not available in the format requested.
	The ambulance response-time data that are collected, and which include the number of emergency calls received by ambulance trusts across England and their performance against the targets set, are published annually. The latest statistical bulletin, Ambulance Services, England, 2006-07 was published in June 2007, a copy is available in the Library and includes data for the North West Ambulance Service Trust. The data are not collected or reported on below ambulance trust level.
	Changing the way we measure response times to emergency calls will save lives. Implementing call connect, where the clock start time is taken from the moment an emergency call is connected to the local ambulance control room, will result in shorter waits for 999 calls to be answered and ambulances dispatched more quickly. The aim is to save lives and improve patient experience as well as ensuring that resources are being used efficiently combined with the necessary investment in technology. One key change is around vehicle deployment, with ambulance trusts implementing a front-loaded model. This is where ambulance trusts may send a single responder rather than double-crewed ambulance to some calls, based on the needs of the patient. This will free up resources for other calls and help to optimise performance.
	Fast response vehicles can often get to the scene faster than traditional ambulances. For heart attack patients where every minute counts, this can mean the difference between life and death.

Ambulance Services: Shropshire

Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what representations he has received from Mr. Anthony Marsh of Shropshire Ambulance Trust on the future of the Shrewsbury Ambulance Control Centre.

Ben Bradshaw: The Department has not received any representations from Mr. Anthony Marsh, chief executive of the West Midlands Ambulance Service NHS Trust, on the future of the Shrewsbury Ambulance Control Centre.

Autism: Children

Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of the number of  (a) children under 16,  (b) young people aged 16 to 24 and  (c) people over 24 with autism.

Ivan Lewis: According to the Office for National Statistics Publication, 'Mental Health of Children and Young People in Great Britain, 2004' the percentage of children with Autistic Spectrum Disorder aged between five and 10 years old in 2004 in Great Britain was 1 per cent., and for 11 to 16-year-olds was 0.8 per cent. A copy of this is available in the Library.
	Corresponding information for people over 16 years old is not available.

Breast and Ovarian Cancer: Screening

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of regional variations in waiting periods for screening for  (a) breast cancer and  (b) ovarian cancer.

Ann Keen: There is no screening programme for ovarian cancer. For variations in breast screening waiting periods I refer the hon. Member to the answer given on 22 May 2007,  Official Report, column 1229W.

Breast and Ovarian Cancer: Screening

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many hospital trusts  (a) met and  (b) did not meet the screening targets for (i) breast cancer and (ii) ovarian cancer in the latest period for which figures are available; and what assessment he has made of the factors impeding those trusts which did not meet the target.

Ann Keen: Information has been placed in the Library, which lists coverage rates for all local breast screening services in England. Coverage is the proportion of women resident and eligible with a recorded screening result at least once in the previous three years. The national aspirational standard for breast screening coverage is 75 per cent.
	There are many factors that can affect coverage. These include population mobility in London and other large inner city areas, deprivation, affluence (private health care) and ethnicity. It is for strategic health authorities working in partnership with their primary care trusts, local breast screening services and stakeholders to provide appropriate breast screening services for their local populations.
	There is no national screening programme for ovarian cancer.

Brent Teaching Primary Care Trust: Finance

Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on the financial position of Brent teaching primary care trust.

Ben Bradshaw: At the end of quarter two of 2007-08, Brent teaching primary care trust is forecasting a financial year-end deficit of 4 million.

Broadmoor Hospital: Death

David Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many deaths in custody have occurred at Broadmoor hospital in each year since 1997.

Ivan Lewis: This information is not held centrally. However, to improve consistency in reporting incidents by the high secure hospitals, a new national reporting policy which includes information on assaults was introduced in January 2007, and this information is reviewed regularly by a dedicated performance manager for each hospital.

Cancer: Finance

Jamie Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will use the 370 million planned expenditure under the NHS Cancer Reform Strategy to provide additional funding to those primary care trusts where incidences of cancer are highest.

Ann Keen: The revenue component of the 370 million will be included in primary care trust allocations. The allocation formula takes account of the variation in need for hospital services across the country.
	The capital funding for improvements to cancer services is included within the total capital funding available to the national health service. The detail of how this investment will be delivered will be agreed as part of the NHS capital planning process.

Care Homes: Dementia

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what recent assessment he has made of the level of  (a) training available and  (b) skills required of care home staff dealing with people with dementia;
	(2)  if he will make it mandatory for care home staff to receive training in dementia care.

Ivan Lewis: The National Dementia Strategy will focus on three key themes: improving awareness and understanding, early diagnosis and intervention and improving the quality of care.
	The third theme, improving the quality of care, will ensure that people with dementia receive good quality care from diagnosis to end of life, whether that care is provided in the community, in general hospitals or in care homes. Under this theme, training issues will be addressed and the Department will work with the royal colleges and professional bodies to ensure there is appropriate training on dementia in undergraduate and postgraduate training in both health and social care courses.
	National occupational standards set out the skills, knowledge and values required by social care workers and are used to benchmark national vocational qualifications. Joint health and social care national occupational standards contain specific standards on providing individualised care, appropriate communication, activities, medication management, supporting family and other carers and gaining specialist support from other services, this includes people with dementia. The standards are set out on the Skills for Care and Skills for Health websites.
	www.skillsforcare.org.uk
	www.skillsforhealth.org.uk
	It is the responsibility of social care service providers to ensure that their care home staff have the relevant National Vocation Qualifications (NVQs) and are adequately trained to carry out the duties they are employed to do. The knowledge set for NVQs is job specific and care home workers who are working with dementia on a regular basis should be taught the dementia knowledge set as part of their dementia training.

Care Homes: Inspections

Phil Willis: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make it his policy to introduce routine inspections of care homes by pharmacists, with particular reference to levels of sedation of elderly patients; and if he will make a statement.

Ivan Lewis: holding answer 11 December 2007
	It is the policy of the Commission for Social Care Inspection (CSCI) to take a proportionate approach to inspection. CSCI's professional guidance for inspectors, 'Referring medication issues to a CSCI pharmacist inspector', sets out a targeted referral pathway whereby CSCI's generic inspectors will consult with regionally-based lead pharmacist inspectors wherever there is a concern about inappropriate handling of medication.
	In those cases where there would appear to be misuse of medication for sedation, an inspector would consult with the regional pharmacist inspection teams. Where there are serious concerns, a targeted inspection of a service could then be carried out by a pharmacist inspector. Pharmacist inspectors are also made available to generic inspectors to give advice and guidance on medication issues and are copied into regulation 37 (of the Care Homes Regulations 2001) cases, which relate to serious medication issues.
	CSCI is aware of the dangers around misuse of medication and pharmacist inspectors routinely inspect controlled drugs in all of the services they visit. Pharmacist inspectors refer relevant information about controlled drugs to accountable officers in primary care trusts, who are part of the local intelligence networks set up following the Government's response to the Shipman inquiry. CSCI is also piloting a project in its south-west region for random inspections of services that stated on their annual quality assurance assessments that they have looked after schedule 2 controlled drugs in the past 12 months.

Carers

Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 21 November 2007,  Official Report, column 665W, what information regarding  (a) providers and  (b) receivers of unpaid care is collected (i) centrally and (ii) by local authorities.

Ivan Lewis: Data on carers are collected centrally through the census. In 2001 the census showed that in England and Wales, there were 5.2 million carers, one in 10 of the population. Data on the number of people being cared for are not held centrally.
	It is for local authorities to collect data on the number of carers and those needing care in order to inform service provision. It is the responsibility of local health and social care organisations to prioritise and allocate funding for support and services for carers based and disabled people on their assessment of the needs of their local populations.

Compulsorily Detained Mental Patients: Death

Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people detained under the Mental Health Act have died in NHS mental health accommodation from  (a) natural and  (b) non-natural causes in each of the last five years.

Ivan Lewis: The Mental Health Act Commission asks trusts to supply information on those cases where someone dies who is detained under the Mental Health Act. Their information on the total number of in-patient deaths, broken down into natural and unnatural, in national health service mental health accommodation in England from 2002 to 2006 is shown in the following table.
	
		
			   Unnatural  Natural  Total 
			 2002(1) 72 291 363 
			 2003(1) 74 222 296 
			 2004 69 226 296 
			 2005 81 245 321 
			 2006 81 295 374 
			 (1) Includes Wales.  Source: The Mental Health Act Commission

Corporate Hospitality

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health on how many occasions he has accepted corporate hospitality in the last 12 months.

Ben Bradshaw: Chapter 7 of the Ministerial Code sets out the rules on the registration of hospitality.

Dental Health

Paul Beresford: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment his Department has made of the effectiveness of the information provided by the adult dental health survey in assessing dental health.

Ann Keen: The adult dental health survey provides a picture of the nation's dental health. Successive surveys provide important information on changes in the oral health of the adult population over time. A number of areas also carry out more detailed local oral health assessments to inform their service provision. All primary care trusts are encouraged under the new dental system to include a local oral health needs assessment as part of their overall commissioning plans.

Dental Services

Paul Beresford: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment his Department has made of the effect of the new general dental services contract upon  (a) access to care,  (b) quality of care,  (c) the level of oral health and  (d) the quality of the patient experience.

Ann Keen: holding answer 13 December 2007
	The Department has assessed the impact of the first year of the dental reforms in the report NHS Dental Reforms: One year on. This report, published on 7 August 2007, is available in the Library. It is also available online at:
	www.dh.gov.uk/en/Publicationsandstatistics/Publications/PublicationsPolicyAndGuidance/DH_077238
	The report set out how the first year of the dental reforms helped lay much more secure foundations for dental services. The report also set out how primary care trusts are already using their new responsibilities for commissioning dental services to improve access, quality, patient experience, oral health outcomes and value for money and how the Department is working with the national health service and other stakeholders to support further progress in all these areas.

Dental Services

Paul Beresford: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the effect of the abolition of patient registration on  (a) access to NHS dental services and  (b) continuity of dental care.

Ann Keen: The measure used by the Department to monitor access to national health service dental services is the number of people who receive care or treatment from NHS primary dental care services at least once in a two year period. Information for the latest 24 month period for which figures are available, 1 July 200530 June 2007, show access within 99 per cent. of the level seen in the last 24 month period before the reforms, the period ending 31 March 2006. Given 3.6 per cent. of existing activity had to be re-commissioned at the start of the new system, with a resulting temporary loss of access for some 900,000 patients these figures suggest the abolition of registration has, as expected, had no adverse effect on access to services.
	The latest information for the 24 months ending 30 June 2007 can be found in table Cl, Annex 3 of the NHS Dental Statistics for England Quarter 1:30 June 2007 report.
	A copy is available in the Library, and can also be found at:
	www.ic.nhs.uk/statistics-and-data-collections/primary-care/dentistry/nhs-dental-statistics-ql-2007-08
	We have had no reports of an adverse effect of the abolition of registration as part of the national remuneration system and we have no reason to expect this. Registration as a central requirement was only introduced in 1990. Before then dentists held their own patient lists and there is no reason not to expect them to continue to do so.

Dental Services

Paul Beresford: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how his Department defines access to NHS dental services.

Ann Keen: The measure used by the Department to monitor access to national health service dental services is the number of people who receive care or treatment from NHS primary dental care services at least once in a two year period. The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) recommends that adults attend the dentist at least once every two years. It is for primary care trusts (PCTs) in England to assess local needs for NHS dental services and to commission or provide services in ways that meet these needs.
	The number of patients seen in the most recent 24 month period is published regularly by the Information Centre for health and social care. The latest information for the 24 months ending 30 June 2007 can be found in table Cl, Annex 3 of the NHS Dental Statistics for England Quarter 1: 30 June 2007 report.
	A copy is available in the Library, and can also be found at:
	www.ic.nhs.uk/statistics-and-data-collections/primary-care/dentistry/nhs-dental-statistics-q1-2007-08

Dental Services

Paul Beresford: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what indicators his Department recommends primary care trusts use, in addition to units of dental activity, to assess  (a) levels of (i) access, (ii) oral health and (iii) quality of service and  (b) the patient experience provided.

Ann Keen: The Department expects primary care trusts (PCTs) to assess level of access to local dental services on the number of patients receiving care or treatment from a national health service dentist in the previous 24 month period as set out in the NHS Operating Framework. PCTs have responsibility for commissioning dental services to meet local need. This includes ensuring services are of robust quality and address local oral health needs. Guidance has been issued to PCTs setting out the additional range of indicators they may wish to include when looking at provision of local dental services.

Dental Services: Children

Paul Beresford: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many five-year-olds were given a general anaesthetic for dental treatment in England in each of the last five years.

Ann Keen: holding answer 13 December 2007
	This information is not held centrally. Dental treatment under general anaesthesia may only take place in a hospital setting that has a critical-care facility. Hospital Episode Statistics show the dental procedure carried out but not whether a general anaesthetic was administered.

Dental Services: Children

Paul Beresford: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many children aged  (a) 12 and  (b) five years had decayed, missing and filled teeth in England in each of the last five years.

Ann Keen: holding answer 13 December 2007
	National health service dental health surveys of five-year-old and 12-year-old children are normally conducted every other year and the information available centrally is provided in the following table.
	
		
			  Percentage 
			   D ecayed, missing and filled teeth (dmft) 
			  Five years  
			 2005-06 38 
			 2003-04 38.7 
			 2001-02 38.8 
			 1999-2000 38.3 
			   
			  12 years  
			 2004-05 30.4 
			 2000-01 37 
			 1996-97 40.76 
			  Source: The figures are taken from the British Association for the Study of Community Dentistry Survey Reports.

Departmental Board

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 29 November 2007,  Official Report, column 711W on the Departmental Board, if he will place in the Library a copy of the report referred to in paragraph 6.1 of the minutes of the meeting held in January 2007.

Ben Bradshaw: The report Explaining NHS Deficits, 2003/04-2005/06 was published on 20 February and is available in the Library.

Departmental Board

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 29 November 2007,  Official Report, column 711W on the Departmental Board, if he will place in the Library all papers, including the agenda and minutes, for the meeting referred to in paragraph 1.4 of the minutes of the meeting of his Departmental Board in January 2007.

Ben Bradshaw: No papers were prepared for this meeting, which was an oral briefing event for staff in the Department.

Departmental Board

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 29 November 2007,  Official Report, column 711W on the Departmental Board, what the outcomes of the leak inquiries referred to in paragraph 1.3 of the minutes of the meeting held in January 2007 were.

Ben Bradshaw: It has been the practice of successive governments not to comment on the subject or outcome of leak inquiries as there is a continued necessity to safeguard security and investigative arrangements.

Departmental Board

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 29 November 2007,  Official Report, column 711W on the Departmental Board, what issues were put to Ministers as areas where his Department might increase its focus, following the discussion referred to in paragraph 3.1 of the minutes of the meeting held in June 2007.

Ben Bradshaw: This work was subsumed into wider briefing covering the full range of issues facing the new ministerial team at the end of June 2007.

Departmental Board

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 29 November 2007,  Official Report, column 711W on the Departmental Board, what the outcome of the work programme to assess the fitness for purpose of his Department's capital regime was; and what reports or other papers were produced as part of this work programme.

Ben Bradshaw: This work is being taken forward as part of the national health service next stage review.

Departmental Board

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 29 November 2007,  Official Report, column 711W, on the Departmental Board, what communications were issued to NHS staff in response to the decision noted in paragraph 2.2 of the meeting held in February.

Ben Bradshaw: This message was incorporated into a range of regular communications and speeches, including the national health service chief executive's regular bulletins.

Departmental Computers

David Gauke: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many of his Department's  (a) computers and  (b) laptops have been stolen in 2007; and what the value of those items was.

Ben Bradshaw: The Department does not differentiate between lost or stolen equipment therefore the figures quoted include both categories.
	The number of computers lost or stolen between 1 January 2007 and 23 November 2007 is none.
	The number of laptops lost or stolen between 1 January 2007 and 23 November 2007 is 15. The value of the lost or stolen laptops is estimated to be 15,175.44 with individual laptops ranging in value from 1,003.09 to 1,088.84.

Departmental Consultants

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will break down the 141 million his Department spent on consultants in 2006-07, by consultancy company.

Ben Bradshaw: The Department does not collect information in the format requested. To do so would attract disproportionate cost.
	A new system will be introduced in April 2008 called SHOWA, which will be able to gather such information for the Department.

Departmental Consultants

Michael Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many management and other consultants are employed by his Department.

Ben Bradshaw: As at the end of September 2007, there were 165 consultants funded within the Department's administrative budget.
	Outside the Department's administrative budget, programme or Vote 1 funding was used to pay for consultants and contractors. As at end of September 2007 we had some 427 consultants and contractors on such funding working on implementation of front line service delivery.
	
		
			  Title  Budget  Number 
			 Consultants / contractors Administrative 165 
			 Consultants / contractors Programme 427 
			 Total  592

Departmental Data Protection

Nigel Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many confirmed data security breaches there have been in his Department in the last 36 months; and what action was taken after each occurrence.

Ben Bradshaw: I refer the hon. Member to the statement made by my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister on 21 November 2007,  Official Report, column 1179. The review by the Cabinet Secretary and security experts is looking at procedures within Departments and agencies for the storage and use of data. A statement on Departments' procedures will be made on completion of the review.

Departmental Information Officers

Michael Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many press officers are employed by  (a) his Department and  (b) the NHS.

Ben Bradshaw: The number of press officers employed by the Department at the end of the financial year 2006-07 was 34.
	The Department does not hold information on the number of press officers employed by the 361 individual organisations that together make up the national health service.

Departmental Labour Turnover

Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the percentage turnover of staff was in  (a) his Department and  (b) his Department's agencies in (i) the last 12-month period and (ii) the last 24-month period for which figures are available.

Ben Bradshaw: For the 12 months to 30 September 2007, turnover in the Department was 12 per cent. For the 12 months to 30 September 2006, the corresponding figure was 16 per cent. These figures cover all turnover categories, and in particular civil servants whose temporary contracts finished, those whose work transferred to other organisations and those who left under voluntary retirement and severance schemes.
	For the 12 months to 30 September 2007, turnover in Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency was 13 per cent. For the 12 months to 30 September 2006, the corresponding figure was 11 per cent. These figures also cover all turnover categories.
	For the 12 months to 30 March 2007, turnover in NHS Purchasing and Supply Agency was 11 per cent. For the six months to 30 September 2007, the corresponding figure was 4 per cent. (suggesting an annual equivalent of 8 per cent.). These figures also cover all turnover categories.

Departmental Manpower

Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many and what proportion of posts in his Department were recategorised from back office to frontline posts as classified by the Gershon efficiency review in each year since 2004.

Ben Bradshaw: The Department is committed to achieving workforce reductions of 720 by the end of 2007-08. This target is net of any transfers of staff to national health service agencies or other arms length bodies. These transfers do not constitute 'front line' posts under Gershon. The Department has not re-categorised any of its posts in this way in any year since 2004.

Departmental Ministerial Policy Advisers

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the office costs for his Department's special advisers for 2007-08 are expected to be, including costs of support staff; and how many full-time equivalent civil servants work in support of such special advisers.

Ben Bradshaw: There are two civil servants supporting the special advisers in the Secretary of State's office. Both provide administrative support of a non-political nature in accordance with the Code of Conduct for Special Advisers.
	Individual civil servants' salary details are not disclosed in order to protect the privacy of the individual concerned.
	The office costs will be accounted for in the 2007-08 departmental annual report and accounts.

Departmental Procurement

Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether the standard terms and conditions of purchase used by his Department in procurement of goods and services from the private sector prohibit the assignment of debt.

Ben Bradshaw: There is no express provision in the Department's standard contract prohibiting the assignment of debt. However, there is a provision which says that the contractor shall not assign, sub-contract or in any other way dispose of the contract or any part of it without the contracting authority's prior approval. On the basis that a prohibition on 'assignment of debt' is a prohibition on a supplier from assigning money owed to it under a contract, the Department takes this provision to mean that a contractor may not assign its debts, without approval from the contracting authority.

Departmental Recycling

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what  (a) volume and  (b) percentage of its waste his Department recycled in each of the last five years.

Ben Bradshaw: On 12 June 2006, the Prime Minister and the former Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (David Miliband) announced revised sustainable operations targets for the Government Estate. They focus on key areas such as carbon neutrality and emissions, energy efficiency, waste and water consumption.
	The 2006 Estate targets include:
	Recycling:
	Departments to increase their recycling figures to 40 per cent, of their waste arisings by 2010 and to 75 per cent, of their waste by 2020.
	These targets will apply for the reporting period April 2006 to March 2007 onwards.
	Previous Government targets that applied to the Government Estate were launched in March 2004 but have since been superseded by the new targets.
	The Department has consistently exceeded the targets. Our performance over the past five years is as follows:
	
		
			   Waste arisings (tonnes)  Proportion recycled (percentage) 
			 2001-02 n/a n/a 
			 2002-03 908.69 78 
			 2003-04 918.95 65 
			 2004-05 1152.76 68 
			 2005-06 635.48 85 
		
	
	All figures exclude information technology (some is refurbished and resold; the rest is dismantled and disposed of in accordance with legislation).
	Figures are not directly comparable from one year to another. Staff have moved from buildings where waste collected by departmental contractors to buildings managed by other Government Departments (who include our staff in their returns). In addition, in some buildings waste streams have been added to what was previously collected under the Department's contract.
	Figures include the Department's main London estate, and departmental agencies.
	The 2006 report is available at:
	www.sd-commission.org.uk/sdig2006/
	and the sixth annual report is due to be published early in the new year.

Departmental Telephone Services

Julia Goldsworthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  which telephone contact centres are the responsibility of his Department; what mechanisms are in place to monitor their effectiveness; and how many people have been employed in each of those centres in each year since they were established;
	(2)  what information his Department collects and monitors in relation to the telephone contact centres for which his Department is responsible;
	(3)  how much each telephone contact centre for which his Department is responsible has  (a) cost and  (b) generated in income in each financial year since their establishment.

Ben Bradshaw: The Department itself has a single public facing telephone enquiry service taking approximately 140,000 telephone calls a year. Statistical information and quality checks are in place to ensure its effectiveness. The contact centre is part of the wider Customer Service Centre which has employed 80 people since it was established in 2004. It is funded through the Department's running costs.
	The Department funds a wide range of voluntary and charitable organisations to provide services relating to health and healthy living. Some of these organisations include telephone helplines as part of their services. We also fund under contract organisations such as NHS Direct and the Healthy Start Helpline.

Dermatology Services

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 10 December 2007, to Question 170029, on practice-based commissioning for dermatology services, how he expects practice-based commissioning to affect the delivery of dermatology services.

Ben Bradshaw: Practice-based commissioning will improve the design and delivery of dermatology services. In particular, practice-based commissioners in partnership with primary care trusts (PCTs) draw up the detailed specification for services such as dermatology in order that these are tailored to best meet local needs. Practice-based commissioning can facilitate, where clinically appropriate, the provision of services such as dermatology in settings that are closer to home or more convenient for patients.
	For example in Huntingdonshire, practice-based commissioners have worked in partnership with the PCT to establish both general practitioner and consultant led clinics delivered in community settings for dermatology, anti-coagulation testing, ear nose and throat, community echocardiography testing and gynaecology services.

Doctors: Career Structure

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what he expects the competition ratio for training posts for registrar group doctors in each  (a) region and  (b) specialty to be in 2008.

Ann Keen: We are working with the Deaneries on the final details of the numbers of training posts for 2008 and expect to have this information later this month.

Drugs: Consultants

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much  (a) has been spent and  (b) he expects to be spent in consultancy fees in relation to the review of Part IX of the Drug Tariff.

Ben Bradshaw: The costs incurred to date to carry out both phases of the arrangements under Part IX of the Drug Tariff review, Phase 1 dressings and reagents and Phase 2 arrangements for the provision for stoma and incontinence appliances and related services is 1.9 million.
	Depending on the outcome to this consultation the forecast total fees in relation to the Part IX review of the Drug Tariff is likely to be in the region of 2.47 million.

Fibromyalgia

Stephen Hepburn: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people were diagnosed with fibromyalgia in  (a) Jarrow constituency,  (b) South Tyneside,  (c) the North East and  (d) England in each year since 1997.

Ann Keen: Information on the number of people diagnosed with fibromyalgia is not collected.

Food: Labelling

Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of food labelling schemes; and if he will make a statement.

Dawn Primarolo: When the Agency made its recommendations for colour coded front of pack signpost labelling in March 2006 it made a commitment to independently review the impact that front of pack nutrition labelling schemes in use in the United Kingdom market had on consumer behaviour and understanding in the shopping environment.

Food: Labelling

Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what percentage of a product must be made in the UK for it to carry a Made in Britain label; and if he will make a statement.

Dawn Primarolo: The origin of a food is deemed to be where the food was produced or processed, rather than the origin of the individual ingredients. Therefore, a processed food labelled as 'Made in Britain' could be either produced or processed in the United Kingdom.

Gambling: Rehabilitation

Henry Bellingham: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what provision the NHS makes for treatment of problem gamblers.

Ivan Lewis: Problem gamblers can access services in primary care and secondary care including specialised mental health and addiction services. There are currently no central plans to provide dedicated services. However, we will continue to monitor the situation and work with local healthcare communities who are responsible for assessing and commissioning services to meet the needs of the populations that they serve.

Health Education: Pharmacy

Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the level of self care information being provided to the public through pharmacies.

Ben Bradshaw: Support for self care is an essential service within the community pharmacy contractual framework which all pharmacies are required to provide. It is for primary care trusts to monitor the provision of services under the contractual framework. The Department has not assessed the level of self care information being provided to the public through pharmacies.

Health Services

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps the Government have taken to encourage local healthcare services to open practices outside the hours of 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. since 1997.

Ben Bradshaw: holding answer 13 December 2007
	We expect general practitioner (GP) practices and primary care trusts (PCTs) to work together locally to ensure patient preferences are taken into account when setting surgery opening hours. Our aim, as set out in 'Our NHS Our Future' is for 50 per cent. of existing GP practices, the 100 new GP practices in the 25 per cent. of PCTs with the poorest provision, and the 150 new GP led health centres, to be offering their patients extended opening.

Health Services: Foreigners

Michael Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what safeguards are  (a) in place and  (b) planned to prevent visits to the UK for the primary purpose of using the NHS; and if he will make a statement.

Liam Byrne: I have been asked to reply.
	The immigration rules provide for overseas nationals to come to the UK for private medical treatment but not for the purpose of using the NHS. Overseas visitors who are not exempt from charge under the NHS (Charges to Overseas Visitors) Regulations 1989, as amended, are not entitled to free NHS treatment.
	Only certain specified treatments which are free to all, including that received in an Accident and Emergency Department or for certain specified infectious diseases which are a threat to public health, can be provided free of charge. These rules do not cover primary healthcare at GP surgeries.
	Entry clearance officers at British visa-issuing posts abroad and immigration officers at ports of entry to the UK have powers to refuse entry if they have reason to believe that a visa applicant or passenger applying for entry as a visitor has the intention of seeking NHS medical treatment, since this would not meet the requirements of the immigration rules for visitors. Overseas Visitor Managers in UK hospitals are also required to check a patient's eligibility for free treatment and apply charges if appropriate.
	The Home Office enforcement strategy Enforcing the Rules: a strategy to ensure and enforce compliance with our immigration laws published on 7 March 2007 includes an undertaking to review the rules governing access to the NHS by foreign nationals. The review is currently under way and will report in the new year, followed by a public consultation.

Health Services: Standards

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether he intends the Care Quality Commission to have powers to impose administrative fines on those health care providers which do not meet the current Healthcare Commission's requirements for core standards  (a) C15a and  (b) C15b.

Ben Bradshaw: The Care Quality Commission will be able to take a range of enforcement action against providers that fail to meet registration requirements, including the power to offer a penalty notice in lieu of prosecution. The Department will be consulting during 2008 on the registration requirements that service providers will be required to meet.

Health: Children

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what Child Health Application systems primary care trusts are using in the  (a) North,  (b) Midlands,  (c) East and  (d) Southern local service provider area.

Ben Bradshaw: Primary care trusts (PCT) in the North, Midlands and East programme for information technology in the main use one or other of the following systems: The Phoenix Partnership SystmOne; Health Solutions Wales Community Child Health 2000 System, Comwise, and various McKesson-based systems. However, one PCT uses an in-house bespoke system. Those in the Southern programme for IT use either the McKesson Swift or CarePlus systems, or the Health Solutions Wales Community Child Health 2000 System.

Health: Children

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the cost to  (a) central Government and  (b) primary care trusts was of (i) the child health interim application system and (ii) RiO in the last 12 months.

Ben Bradshaw: All deployments made by the London local service provider (LSP) under the national programme for information technology (NPfIT), including the child interim health application (CHIA) and RiO, are part of the overall 1.016 billion contract between the Department and the LSP, BT. Work done to deliver and support the CHIA and RiO systems in the last 12 months has not resulted in any additional cost to that contract.
	Information about costs incurred locally by primary care trusts and other national health service organisations in implementing NPfIT systems and services delivered by LSPs is not collected centrally.

Heart Diseases: Health Services

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what action the Government have taken to improve cardiac services in the NHS since 1997;
	(2)  what discussions the Government have had with the British Heart Foundation on the efficiency and effectiveness of NHS cardiac services.

Ann Keen: holding answer 13 December 2007
	The National Service Framework (NSF) for Coronary Heart Disease (CHD) published in March 2000 sets a 10-year framework for action to prevent disease, tackle inequalities, save more lives, and improve the quality of life for people with heart disease.
	The implementation of this NSF has led to a reduction of premature mortality, improved diagnostic and treatment facilities, faster care and better prevention of heart disease.
	This progress is set out in detail in the progress report for 2006, 'Shaping the future', copies of which are available in the Library. A progress report for 2007 will be published in early 2008.
	The British Heart Foundation (BHF) played a significant role in the development and implementation of the NSF for CHD. This was supported by the Department's CHD Taskforce, which included representation from the BHF. The Department has, and will continue to work closely with the BHF on a variety of projects and they are represented on the Department's CHD Programme Board.

Hip Replacements

Nigel Waterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people aged over 65 years with hip injuries were discharged from hospital to a nursing home in each year since 1997.

Ivan Lewis: Information on the number of people aged over 65 with hip injuries who were discharged from hospital to a nursing home is not collected centrally.

Hospital Beds

Steve Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Health which acute hospitals trusts have had red alert status for bed capacity in the last four weeks; and if he will make a statement.

Ben Bradshaw: holding answer 13 December 2007
	The Department is aware that some national health service trusts and ambulance trusts operate local bed capacity management systems which incorporate coloured alerts. However, these are local arrangements and there is no national definition of particular colour alerts or national data collection measuring alert status.

Hospitals

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will publish lists of hospitals recommended for top-ups above the national tariff provided to him by each strategic health authority in the last three months.

Ben Bradshaw: The list of providers eligible for specialist top-ups in 2008-09 will be published in December 2007 as part of the tariff package, and alongside the National Health Service Operating Framework for 2008-09.

Hospitals: Admissions

Michael Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many emergency re-admissions there were in each year since 1997; and how many were of people aged  (a) 0 to 10,  (b) 11 to 18,  (c) 19 to 65,  (d) 66 to 75 and  (e) over 75 in each year.

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many emergency readmissions faced delayed discharge for each quarter since 2002 for which figures are available; and how many emergency readmissions there were in each quarter since 2002, broken down by age.

Ben Bradshaw: Currently, the best estimates of re-admission rates are those released by the National Centre for Health Outcomes Development (NCHOD). These estimates are derived from Hospital Episode Statistics (HES) data and are published in full on the NCHOD website at www.nchod.nhs.uk; a relevant extract is given in the table, which has been placed in the Library. There are eight years data from 1998-99 to 2005-06 at primary care trust (PCT) level and trust level, for the age groups 0-15, 16-74 and 75 and over. The data is presented both in raw form and also standardised for changes in age, sex, method of admission and case type and exclude discharges for those coded as death, day cases, maternity spells, mental health specialties and those with a mention of cancer or chemotherapy for cancer anywhere in the spell. Full definitions are on the NCHOD website.
	Other analyses from this source, including quarterly data, could be produced only at disproportionate cost. We regret that data linking emergency readmissions to delayed discharge, are not available.

Hospitals: Construction

Norman Lamb: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what hospital building projects were approved in each of the last three years; what the  (a) projected costs when approved were,  (b) costs to date are and  (c) projected completion costs are of each project; and what the (i) expected completion dates were on approval and (ii) actual expected completion dates are.

Ben Bradshaw: Information on hospital building schemes approved (full business case (FBC) approved and financial close or tender awarded for both private finance initiative (PFI) and public capital schemes) in the last three years is in the following table.
	For PFI schemes expected completion dates ('Operational' in the table) are collected centrally at the point of financial close but whether these are precisely achieved is not logged. Capital costs are recorded at the point of financial close but not on completion as the risk of any cost overruns lie with the private sector under a PFI contract. Information on cost increases and the reasons for them from approval of the first business case in the procurement process (the strategic outline case (SOC) or outline business case (OBC)) to FBC for each scheme in the table are submitted annually as part of the Department's evidence for the Health Select Committee's Public Expenditure Inquiry. I refer the hon. Member to the reports of the House of Commons Health Committee 'Public Expenditure on Health and Personal Social Services, HC26-i'. Indicative timetables are set for all schemes as part of this first business case as part of approved project management practice but are revised as necessary to reflect changed circumstances and are not collected centrally.
	For public capital hospital building schemes expected completion dates ('Operational' in the table) are collected centrally at the point of tender award after FBC approval; cost increases and time overruns from then until completion are submitted annually to the Health Select Committee and can also be found in 'Public Expenditure on Health and Personal Social Services, HC26-i' (this shows all projects over 10 millionnew hospital building schemes are now considered by the Department as projects over 25 million with a clear, frontline clinical purpose). The capital values provided in the table in this answer are taken at a point near to completion. Cost increases from approval of the first business case in the procurement process (the SOC or OBC) are not collected centrally nor requested by the Health Select Committee as part of the evidence. The information is not held centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
	
		
			  National health service trust  Capital value  ( million)  Financial close/  tender award date  Operational/  expected operational  date 
			 PFI hospital building projects approved in the last three years and operational 
			 Northumberland, Tyne and Wear NHS Trust 24 21 July 2005 23 April 2007 
			 
			 PFI hospital building projects approved in the last three years and under construction 
			 Northamptonshire Teaching PCT 28 3 March 2005 Q1 2008 
			 Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (FT) 299 27 April 2005 Ql 2008 
			 Sherwood Forest Hospitals NHS FT 326 29 October 2005 Q2 2009 
			 Portsmouth Hospitals NHS Trust 236 12 December 2005 Q2 2009 
			 Oxford Radcliffe Hospitals NHS Trust 129 13 December 2005 Q2 2008 
			 Hull and East Yorkshire Hospitals NHS Trust 67 21 February 2006 Q2 2008 
			 Ipswich Hospital NHS Trust 36 27 March 2006 Ql 2008 
			 Barts and the London NHS Trust 1,000 27 April 2006 Q2 2013 
			 St. Helens Hospitals NHS Trust 338 1 June 2006 Q4 2008 
			 University Hospital Birmingham/ Birmingham and Solihull MH NHS Trusts 627 8 June 2006 Ql 2010 
			 South West Essex Teaching PCT 30 29 June 2006 Q3 2008 
			 Taunton and Somerset NHS Trust 21 28 February 2007 Ql 2009 
			 Lincolnshire Teaching PCT 29 3 May 2007 Q2 2009 
			 University Hospital of North Staffordshire/Stoke PCT 375 13 June 2007 Q4 2012 
			 Mid Yorkshire Hospitals NHS Trust 353 22 June 2007 Q2 2010 
			 Peterborough and Stamford Hospitals NHS FT 336 29 June 2007 Ql 2012 
			 North Middlesex University Hospital 144 27 July 2007 Q2 2010 
			 Salford Royal Hospitals NHS FT 190 5 September 2007 Ql 2011 
			 Tameside and Glossop Acute Services Trust 109 13 September 2007 Q4 2010 
			 South Essex Partnership NHS FT 32 5 October 2007 Q3 2009 
			 Derbyshire Mental Health Services NHS Trust 36 9 October 2007 Q2 2009 
			 Northamptonshire Healthcare NHS Trust 36 31 October 2007 Ql 2010 
			 Walsall Hospitals NHS Trust 169 3 November 2007 Ql 2010 
			 Tees, Esk and Wear Valleys NHS Trust 75 5 December 2007 Ql 2010 
			 Mid Essex Hospital Services NHS Trust 148 6 December 2007 Q3 2010 
			 
			 Public capital hospital building projects approved in the last three years and operational 
			 West London Mental Health NHS Trust 27 1 June 2005 30 June 2007 
			 
			 Public capital hospital building projects approved in the last three years and under construction 
			 South London and Maudsley NHS FT 25 12 September 2005 Q2 2008 
			 Hull and East Yorkshire Hospitals NHS Trust 51 1 August 2006 Q3 2008 
			 Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children NHS Trust 75 9 October 2006 Q3 2011 
			 United Bristol/North Bristol NHS Trusts 64 16 October 2006 Ql 2009 
			 University Hospital of North Staffordshire NHS Trust 55 1 December 2006 Ql 2009 
			 Oxford Radcliffe Hospitals NHS Trust 29 1 May 2007 Ql 2009 
			 West Hertfordshire Hospitals NHS Trust 40 14 October 2007 Q2 2009

Medical Equipment: Incontinence

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what account was taken of tax revenues paid by appliance manufacturers in estimating the effect of price reductions for incontinence and stoma appliances proposed by his Department.

Ben Bradshaw: The Department is not privy to company tax information. No account has been taken of manufacturers' tax revenues, and it is unclear as to where they may be domiciled for tax purposes.

Medical Equipment: Incontinence

Richard Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what discussions he has had with ministerial colleagues on the possible effect on UK manufacturing jobs of the price reductions for incontinence and stoma appliances proposed by his Department.

Ben Bradshaw: One of the stated aims of consultation on the Arrangements under Part IX of the Drug tariff for the provision of stoma and incontinence appliancesand related servicesto primary care is to work in partnership to deliver fair prices for the national health service and reasonable returns for suppliers and contractors.
	Departmental officials have had constructive dialogue with trade associations, individual companies, and patient and user groups in relation to what is proposed and is carefully listening to what they have to say.
	To date no specific representations have been made to my officials with detailed consequences on United Kingdom manufacturing activities including jobs.

Medical Professions: Surveys

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether his Department conducts  (a) focus groups and  (b) other qualitative or quantitative opinion research of (i) doctors and (ii) nurses.

Ben Bradshaw: The Department is committed to consulting and involving the public, national health service staff and our stakeholders to help inform both policy formulation and the delivery of better quality public services. Responsive public services are an important part of the Modernising Government initiative.
	The Department regularly commissions research among NHS staff.

Medical Records: Databases

Jeremy Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will introduce legislation to provide that he shall not be a data controller in relation to personal data processed on a detailed care record.

Ben Bradshaw: The Government have no current plans to do so in relation to patient records within the National Health Service Care Records Service, but will keep the position under review as the new service is implemented. Some key data controller responsibilities such as overall network and technical system security are managed through the Department's contracts and it would not be appropriate for the Secretary of State to avoid these responsibilities. This does not, however, permit the Department's staff to access confidential patient information unless expressly authorised by the patient concerned.

Medical Services: Finance

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has to extend the scope of practice-based commissioning to include real budgets for  (a) elective acute care,  (b) unscheduled care and  (c) other types of care; and what plans he has to phase out the use of indicative budgets in relation to practice-based commissioning.

Ben Bradshaw: There are no plans to introduce real budgets for practice-based commissioning or phase out the existing indicative budget arrangements. The Department considers that such an approach would not offer additional flexibility or benefits for practice-based commissioners.

Mental Health Services

Anne Milton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health with reference to the answer of 29 October 2007,  Official Report, column 1037W, on mental health services, what estimate he has made of the average cost to the NHS of a course of cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT); what representations he has received on the availability and future use of CBT in the last 12 months; and what discussions  (a) he,  (b) his Ministers and  (c) his Departmental officials have had with those who have made such representations.

Ivan Lewis: While National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence have calculated that the average cost of delivering a course of cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) is 750, the cost calculation for delivering CBT and other evidence-based psychological therapies, used in implementing the Improving Access to Psychological Therapies (IAPT) programme, is lower. This is because the IAPT model of care includes a range of evidence-based therapeutic approaches and delivery methods.
	Over the last year a significant number of representations have been made about the availability and future use of CBT, and discussions have taken place with a wide range of interests which include third sector organisations, senior academics, providers of CBT training courses and other forms of therapy and the private sector, in particular manufacturers of computerised CBT products.

Milton Keynes Hospital: Midwives

Mark Lancaster: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many midwives should be employed at Milton Keynes hospital to deal with the number of births there each year.

Ivan Lewis: This is a matter for the Chair of Milton Keynes Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, as it is the Foundation Trust's responsibility to ensure that staffing levels are sufficient to ensure that patient safety is not compromised.

NHS Foundation Trusts: Infectious Diseases

Patrick Mercer: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many hospitals with above average levels of infection of  (a) MRSA and  (b) clostridium difficile have (i) gained and (ii) retained foundation status.

Ann Keen: We only support applications for national health service foundation trust status if we are satisfied that the NHS trust is a high performing organisation both in terms of service quality and financial rigour. Once NHS trusts become NHS foundation trusts they must continue to deliver high quality services and should they fall short of national standards then they will be subject to intervention by Monitor, the independent regulator of NHS foundation trusts. Monitor has a range of interventions available, from increased reporting through to direct managerial change.
	All acute NHS trusts are obliged to report all methicillin-resistant  Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) blood stream infections and  clostridium diff i cile infection (CDI) diagnosed in their laboratory.
	In 2006-07, 69 trusts had MRSA rates above the national rate of 1.67 cases per 10,000 bed-days, and of these 15 were NHS foundation trusts.
	However, it is misleading to compare trusts on their reported CDI surveillance data. This is because the calculation used attributes all cases of CDI to the trust whose laboratory detects and reports the infection. This is inappropriate for those trusts that test samples from other hospitals, general practitioner practices etc. because the rate produced is higher than the actual infection rate in trust patients.

NHS Trusts: Finance

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health which trusts are in the financially challenged trust regime; and if he will publish the reports relating to them.

Ben Bradshaw: The following list shows the 17 financially challenged national health service trusts. These trusts have been subject to a rigorous review of their financial and operational positions, to identify long-term solutions that best deliver value for money, while maintaining standards of patient care to the community they serve. The results of the review process for these trusts are currently under discussion with the strategic health authorities and solutions are being prepared in the context of the Department's operating framework for 2008-09.
	Barking, Havering and Redbridge Hospital NHS Trust
	Bromley Hospitals NHS Trust
	Hinchingbrooke Healthcare NHS Trust
	Mid Yorkshire Hospitals NHS Trust
	North Bristol NHS Trust
	Queen Elizabeth Hospital NHS Trust
	Queen Mary's Sidcup NHS Trust
	Royal Cornwall Hospital NHS Trust
	Royal United Hospital Bath NHS Trust
	Royal Wolverhampton Hospital NHS Trust
	Surrey and Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust
	The Lewisham Hospital NHS Trust
	The Royal West Sussex NHS Trust
	University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire NHS Trust
	West Middlesex University Hospital NHS Trust
	Weston Area Health NHS Trust
	Whipps Cross University Hospital NHS Trust.

NHS: Billing

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health which primary care trusts  (a) paid and  (b) did not pay 95 per cent. of undisputed invoices within (i) contract terms or (ii) 30 days in cases where no terms were agreed, in (A) 2005-06 and (B) 2006-07; and what the total value was of those invoices in each case.

Ben Bradshaw: This information has been placed in the Library.

NHS: Bureaucracy

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate his Department has made of the number of hours per week spent on paperwork by  (a) nurses,  (b) midwives,  (c) consultants and  (d) general practitioners in the latest period for which figures are available.

Ben Bradshaw: No estimates have been made centrally.
	Some paperwork is essential to safe and effective patient care. The Department is committed to reducing the unnecessary burden placed on staff in the national health service wherever it can and to ensure frontline staff are able to spend more time doing what they do besttreat patients.

NHS: Complaints

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps the Government has taken to improve the NHS complaints procedure since 1997.

Ann Keen: The national health service complaints procedure is continually being reviewed in the light of changes to the way the NHS works and how patients receive their treatment. In addition, there are other external drivers for change, such as the White Paper Our health, our care, our say, setting the strategic direction for a new NHS through world class commissioning and a new regulatory regime.
	A number of changes have been introduced since 1997 aimed at improving complaints procedures and overall responsiveness to complaints. While the detail to processes have been changed the objectives have consistently aimed to deliver a system which:
	is easy and accessible;
	requires providers to extract lessons on quality for complaints to improve services for patients;
	is fair to staff and complainants alike;
	deals with complaints as swiftly, openly and efficiently as possible; and
	is robust, honest and thorough, with the prime aim of resolving the problems and satisfying the concerns of the complainant.
	Information has been placed in the Library which sets out in detail the specific changes that have been introduced to NHS complaints arrangements from 1997, and the key elements of the current proposals in the consultation Making Experiences Count, which ran from June to October this year.

NHS: Data Protection

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many staff in the NHS have been subject to disciplinary proceedings for mishandling patient data in each of the past five years.

Ben Bradshaw: Information relating to the information governance responsibilities of individual national health service trusts, primary care trusts and general practitioner practices is not held centrally, and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
	For the future, tools are provided by NHS Connecting for Health to enable NHS organisations to control access to patient data held in the new systems and services deployed under the national programme for information technology. System audit trails will enable organisations to monitor access, and the Department has made it clear that misuse must not be tolerated. The Department will monitor how well NHS organisations adhere to standards rather than the details of access.

NHS: DHL

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health by what means the DHL contract for supply and delivery of medical supplies and equipment to the NHS is being evaluated; and if he will make a statement.

Ben Bradshaw: DHL is contracted to run the business operation now known as NHS Supply Chain and has committed to key performance indicators (KPIs), including service delivery and financial targets.
	While the contractual high level KPIs are used for performance and penalty reporting, lower level KPIs are used predicatively and diagnostically to forecast and understand performance.
	KPI information is produced for the lifetime of the contract in the form of standard reports, which are monitored and evaluated by the supply chain management division (SCMD) of the NHS Business Services Authority which has been set up to manage DHL performance.
	Along with KPI measurement, rigorous process evaluation and Gateway reviews, the SCMD are audited to ensure processes and procedures for managing the contract are robust.

NHS: Expenditure

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what net NHS expenditure was on  (a) the unintended consequences of treatment,  (b) health care arising from violent incidents,  (c) coronary heart disease,  (d) diabetes and  (e) cerebrovascular disease (i) for England and (ii) in each primary care trust area, expressed (A) as a total, (B) as a percentage of total net NHS expenditure and (C) per head of population in the same format as that provided in table 8b of his Department's memorandum to the Health Select Committee on Public Expenditure on Health and Personal Social Services 2006, HC(2006-07)-26-i

Ben Bradshaw: This information has been placed in the Library.

NHS: Finance

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what rating is used when assessing  (a) the creditworthiness of organisations receiving (i) public dividend capital and (ii) loans and  (b) the risk of default by organisations on the repayment of (i) public dividend capital and (ii) loans; and pursuant to the answer of 5 December 2007,  Official Report, column 1320W, to the hon. Member for South Cambridgeshire (Mr. Lansley), on NHS finance, what rating is applied to each (A) organisation, (B) public dividend capital sum and (C) loan.

Ben Bradshaw: Loans are issued to national health service trusts where there is a reasonable expectation that they will be serviced and repaid on the agreed schedule. This is in line with rules on public sector loans set out by HM Treasury. This was assessed through an assurance process carried out on a case-by-case basis by strategic health authorities and the Department.
	Public Dividend Capital is a different form of financing provided to NHS trusts. Unlike loans, it is not serviced at a constant rate. However, NHS trusts in receipt of public dividend capital are expected to deliver the required rate of return.

NHS: Manpower

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 15 November 2007,  Official Report, column 381W, on NHS: manpower, what estimate his Department has made of the number of staff that will be employed in the NHS in each year from 2007-08 to 2010-11, broken down by  (a) region and  (b) position.

Ann Keen: Workforce planning is a matter for local determination, as local workforce planners are best placed to asses the healthcare needs of their local population. The Department continues to ensure the frameworks and financial support are in place to support this.

NHS: Manpower

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 15 November 2007,  Official Report, column 382W, on NHS: manpower, what documents his Department requires strategic health authorities to submit on their workforce plans; how frequently these submissions are required; and for what future time period strategic health authorities are required to make such plans.

Ann Keen: Within the national health service, planning is from the bottom up to ensure local health economy's requirements are met, plans are then aggregated to ensure wider coherence.
	The Financial Information Management System (FIMS) is used by the Department to collect and report on finance and workforce data submitted by the NHS. As part of the FIMS process, strategic health authorities (SHAs) are required to submit an annual plan to the Department for the current financial year setting out financial and workforce profiles. The requirement to collect workforce plans and data is ongoing.
	SHAs were required to submit their annual workforce investment plans, based on local long-term workforce planning, to the Department by 30 June 2007 in accordance with the multi professional education and training service level agreement between the two parties. Submission of these plans will be reviewed annually.

NHS: Manpower

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to Table 100 in his Department's memorandum to the Health Select Committee on Public Expenditure on Health and Personal Social Services 2006, to how many staff each figure in the table refers.

Ann Keen: This was a financial collection only so it does not contain information about numbers of staff which relate to the collected data on costs of redundancy.
	Numbers of redundancies have been collected in a separate exercise by the Department. The latest published information shows that in Quarter 1 of 2007-08 there have been 766 compulsory redundancies in the trusts and strategic health authorities by 30 June 2007. In total 87 per cent. of those redundancies were of non-clinical staff.

Opinion Leader Research

Theresa May: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many contracts were awarded by his Department to Opinion Leader Research in each year since 1997; and what was  (a) the title and purpose,  (b) the cost to the public purse and  (c) the dates of (i) tender, (ii) award, (iii) operation and (iv) completion and report to the Department in each case.

Ben Bradshaw: The Department does not collect information in the format requested. To do so would attract disproportionate cost.
	A new system will be introduced in April 2008 called SHOWA, which will be able to gather such information for the Department.

Palliative Care

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what matters were covered in the 2007-08 baseline review of end-of-life care services, as described in paragraph 7.51 of his Department's Cancer Reform Strategy; how many primary care trusts conducted the review; whether his Department has the results of the review; and if he will make a statement.

Ivan Lewis: The NHS Operating Framework 2007-08 highlighted the importance of primary care trusts (PCTs), working with local authorities (LAs), undertaking baseline reviews of their end-of-life care services in preparation for the publication of the End- of-Life Care Strategy. Guidance on what these reviews should cover was issued in April 2007. The guidance is available at:
	www.dh.gov.uk/en/Publicationsandstatistics/Publications/PublicationsPolicyAndGuidance/DH_074108
	and a copy has been placed in the Library.
	The Department is not formally collecting or reviewing the baseline reviews. The baseline reviews will enable PCTs and LAs to assess current services, identify gaps or duplication and put in place arrangements to deliver comprehensive end of life care services that will provide choice, quality, equity and value for money.

Paramedical Staff: Qualifications

Michael Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what his policy is on mutual recognition for military and civilian paramedic qualifications; and if he will make a statement.

Ben Bradshaw: Responsibility for recognising civilian qualifications lies with the Health Professions Council.

Patients: Nutrition

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health in what ways his Department will  (a) support and  (b) widely promote the Council of Europe Alliance (UK)'s 10 key characteristics of good nutritional care in hospitals, as stated on page 26 of his Department's document, Improving Nutritional Care.

Ivan Lewis: The Nutrition Action Plan Delivery Board, chaired by Gordon Lishman, director general of Age Concern, will consider the most effective means of support and promotion of the Council of Europe Alliance (UK)'s 10 key characteristics.

Peterborough District Hospital: Cleaning Services

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 5 December 2007,  Official Report, column 1323W, on Peterborough district hospital: cleaning services, whether additional funds will be made available to  (a) strategic health authorities and (b) acute trusts, to facilitate deep cleans of hospitals; and if he will make a statement.

Ann Keen: I refer the hon. Member to the written ministerial statement by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State, on 21 November 2007. In addition, copies of letters of 1 and 29 November 2007 from the Department to strategic health authorities giving further details on plans for deep cleaning are available in the Library.

Pregnancy

Adam Afriyie: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what data his Department collects on pregnancies in England.

Ann Keen: The Information Centre for health and social care (part of the Government Statistical Service) publishes an annual statistical bulletin on 'NHS Maternity Statistics, England' using data from the maternity Hospital Episode Statistics. The latest edition 2005-06, published earlier this year, provides data on a range of topics, including place of delivery, duration of antenatal and postnatal stay, birth weight and conditions affecting newborn babies. Copies of the bulletins are available in the Library.
	The National Perinatal Epidemiology Unit at Oxford University and the Health Care Commission have also undertaken surveys into maternity services with a special focus on patient satisfaction.

Pregnancy: Health Services

Michael Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will estimate the cost to the NHS of treating an entopic pregnancy in the latest year for which figures are available.

Ann Keen: holding answer 13 December 2007
	Costs of entopic pregnancies are not collected centrally.

Pregnant Women: Grants

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the economic implications of the Health in Pregnancy Grant; if he will publish research  (a) commissioned and  (b) evaluated by his Department on the grant; what the approval process with HM Treasury was in relation to the grant; and if he will make a statement.

Jane Kennedy: I have been asked to reply.
	The Government are introducing from April 2009 a one-off payment to expectant mothers, known as the Health in Pregnancy Grant, to help them during the important last weeks of pregnancy. The grant will help women meet the additional costs involved in pregnancy and in the run up to birth.
	HM Treasury received a wide number of representations before the 2006 pre-Budget report on tax and benefits issues, which formed part of the process of policy development for the 2006 pre-Budget report. The decision to make a payment to all women during pregnancy was announced in the 2006 pre-Budget report.

Prescriptions: Low Incomes

Ashok Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people on low incomes are eligible for free prescriptions in  (a) Teesside and ( b) Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland; and whether he plans to increase uptake.

Ann Keen: The information is not available in the format requested.
	The areas named most closely correspond to the North Tees, Middlesbrough and Redcar and Cleveland Primary Care Trusts (PCTs). The estimated number of items dispensed in these PCTs for the 12 months October 2006 to September 2007 are shown by low income category in the following table.
	
		
			  PCT name  Income support  Job seeker  Disabled persons tax credit/ DWA  Working tax credit  Low income scheme (HC2)  Minimum income guarantee 
			 North Tees 294,067 65,920 221 99,516 25,587 5,879 
			 Middlesbrough 322,649 57,430 159 86,914 23,461 4,749 
			 Redcar and Cleveland 233,367 37,867 200 76,696 19,524 4,971

Prosthetics

Richard Younger-Ross: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what types of prosthetic limbs are available on the NHS.

Ben Bradshaw: The national health service has available to it, via national framework agreements virtually all types of prosthetic limbs that are available on the international market. Additionally, local healthcare professionals have the ability to obtain products from outside of the current agreement if it is deemed appropriate for the specific needs of a particular patient.
	The selection of the most appropriate prosthetic limb product depends on a combination of factors that are best explored with their local prosthetist or multidisciplinary team.

Tinnitus

Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what guidance is issued to GPs on treating people with tinnitus; and if he will make a statement.

Ivan Lewis: The Department has issued no recent guidance to general practitioners on treating people with tinnitus.

Departmental Staff

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many staff aged between 16 and 18 were employed by his Department  (a) directly and  (b) through an employment agency in each of the last 10 years; what proportion of these were given time off work to undertake some form of training; and what proportion were provided with some form of training (i) wholly and (ii) partially funded by his Department.

Ben Bradshaw: The Department records information on the ages of its employees on its human resources information system. Currently it does not employ any people aged between 16 and 18.
	The Department analyses its age profile each month using a lowest category of 'under 20'. We therefore cannot provide information for the required age range.
	Decisions about time off for training and funding for training are taken locally, and are not recorded by age, so we are unable to provide this information.